Melda Aranel
by Simply Fanfictional
Summary: A darkness brews in Middle Earth. One the Valar had believed caged. Loteriel, an Ainur blessed in many ways, suddenly finds herself at the mercy of shadow and pain, deceived by a primordial power. With darkness coursing through her body, Loteriel must defeat the fate she's been tied to, or be destroyed by it's hands. With the help of a certain Fellowship, she just might survive.
1. Chapter 1

**After some research, I found a name deep in Tolkien lore that I decided to bring out and write a little story for. Obviously I'll be modernizing wordings just a little bit to suit my writing style.**

 **I hope you all like this new story,**

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"Do not go astray, Loteriel." The deep, authoritative voice practically boomed. It belonged to a tall, mighty man with long hair the color of earth, a strong jaw, emerald green eyes ringed with gold, and an intimidating, austere aura. He sat upon a great, white steed, as brilliant as new snow in the light of day… and he glowed. His skin, his entire body simply glowed a pure, powerful light; even the steed upon which he was mounted glowed with power.

"Yes, father." Loteriel said compliantly, a small smile curling the ends of her full lips.

"Be wary as well. Fangorn Forest is brimming with many a lively creature." Orome, Loteriel's father, said. His tone sounding much more commanding than guiding. Loteriel's brow rose ever so slightly, but she knew better than to challenge her father… most of the time.

"Yes, father." Loteriel repeated calmly.

"Keep close to Roccotari and your horn." Loteriel finally huffed out a quick, aggrieved sigh.

"Father, I am your daughter. You've taught me all I know. If you cannot trust me, you must at least trust the instruction you've given me." Loteriel said, a hint of gumption and annoyance in her tone as she gave her father a shrewd smile.

Orome's brow rose ever so slightly, mirroring the action his daughter had done only moments ago. "You've your mother's boldness." He said placidly, but Loteriel could have sworn she saw a hint of a smile on her father's face.

"Yes, father." Loteriel said cheekily, pride in her smile. She was indeed a lot like her mother, and she prided herself in that fact. Just as much as she prided herself in the fact that she was plenty like her father.

Orome gazed at his daughter closely for a moment, saying nothing as he looked her over. Then, he finally looked away, guiding Nahar, his brilliant white steed, to where his company of Vanyar hunters waited for him in patient silence. Dressed in sturdy hunting garb and armour, a long deep green cloak, and armed with his trusty bow, blades, and his great horn, Valaroma, Orome was ready to begin the hunt.

"Stay safe." The Lord of Forests uttered to his daughter quietly, before leading his company into a gallop, guiding them deep into Fangorn Forest.

Loteriel smiled as she watched her father fade into the shadows and green. She then heaved a heavy sigh and turned to Roccotari.

"He worries too much doesn't he, Roccotari?" She said to the beautiful stallion beside her. The mighty mare had been a gift to her from her father, and she loved the dappled grey horse dearly. Though her mane and tail were black as the night sky, the very sight of the gorgeous mare gave Loteriel the stunning image of snowfall in the dead of night.

"We're a stone throw away from Aiwendil's home and we're surrounded by trees." Loteriel murmured as she went to her mare's side and stroked her fingers through her mane. It was a fact, at least in Loteriel's eyes, that she was very safe in the company of the trees and creatures. She was the daughter of the Queen of Flowers and the Lord of Forests, and she was kin to the Queen of Earth; she was very, very comfortable in the presence of forests and it's inhabitants. Loteriel loved spending time with the animals and she was always happy to listen to the Ent's tell the stories of their long lifetimes.

So yes, in her mind, she was perfectly safe. Besides, she had her trusty horn strapped to her side, one blow and the fury of the Huntsman of the Valar would descend upon her in no time.

Stepping back, Loteriel patted Roccotari's long neck once more before smiling and bending down at her waist, reaching down and lifting her feet one at a time to remove her slippers. Once they were off she quickly stuffed them into the satchel strapped onto Roccotari's side and wriggled her toes in the smooth blades of grass beneath her feet. It felt wonderful. With a content sigh, Loteriel began to dance gently as she walked through the forest, twirling elegantly about the trees, humming a happy song, and leaving behind a trail of small, pretty flowers everywhere her bare feet touched as she lead Roccotari through the trees at her own pace.

She made for an enchanting picture. It was said that Vana held the beauty of both heaven and earth upon her face, and her daughter had been gifted with a beauty the rivaled her own. Unlike her father, who had rich brown locks, Loteriel's hair flowed down to her waist in a waterfall of molten gold curls adorned with a diadem of exquisite flowers. Her eyes, much like her father's, gleamed like emeralds ringed with brilliant gold, and her pretty face, along with her entire being, gleamed with the glow of the Vala's immortal power.

She was a beauty, and it was a good thing that there was no one to lay eyes on her in that moment as she danced for they would have been captivated by her in an instant. Fortunately, there rarely ever was a being to worry about in Fangorn Forest, the people of Middle Earth seemed to have a large amount of caution in regards of the forest. Loteriel assumed it was probably Fangorn and all of his kin who drove those worries into the hearts of men, dwarf, and elf alike. But she was not worried, nor had she ever been thanks to the guidance her father gave her.

During the years of the Trees, after most of the Valar had withdrawn entirely from Middle-Earth and hidden themselves in the West, Oromë had still hunted in the forests of Middle-Earth on occasion. There had not been a time that Loteriel didn't join her father on his travels. Sadly, however, those occasions became less and less, until ultimately the Lord of Forests returned only once every few centennials. The rolling plains of emerald green, the armies of towering timber, and the bands of splendid creatures called to the Huntsman still, but over time his fondness for the forests of Middle Earth slowly began to wane.

Were it not for his daughter, the Huntsman would have completely ceased to visit Middle Earth long ago. It seemed that his enjoyment of the land had passed on to her, and she quickly made it a habit to ask her father to take her to the beautiful land as often as he possibly could.

They were now well into the Third Age of Arda, and still Loteriel, or Nieliqui as she was known more commonly as in the Undying land, loved to visit Middle Earth. Even more so than her father. But Loteriel wasn't allowed on Middle Earth, much to her chagrin. Not on her own at least.

Her father was a watchful Vala, a mighty lord, a master, resolute, dreadful in anger, and, like all Valar, he was also wise, powerful, benevolent, and vigilant in all things. He, and his wife, were notably vigilant in things concerning their daughter. Loteriel dared not thwart their, or the Valar's, bidding, nor did she even wish to.

So she waited as patiently as she possibly could for the Valar to agree on the moment that she, her father, and his hunters could journey to Middle Earth for the hunt.

The sound of rustling leaves roused Loteriel from her thoughts and prompted Roccotari to become restless and wary, while the woman simply stopped her dance and searched her surrounding calmly with a smile. She was not yet in Aiwendil's domain so it couldn't be him, unless he was out and about with his animal friends; but Loteriel could not sense his presence. She couldn't sense a presence at all, and yet the leaves continued to rustle as if someone was walking steadily through them to her.

"Hello?" Loteriel called out. "Aiwendil is that you?" The wizard could cloak his aura if he wished after all.

The rustling resonated once more, then suddenly, out from a nearby briar, emerged a lovely black fox. He was utterly magnificent, with a smooth, lustrous black coat, perked long ears, and captivating eyes like deep obsidian. He stepped toward Loteriel hesitantly, then hastened back a moment later when Roccotari suddenly neighed in objection and stamped uneasily.

"Roccotari," Loteriel quickly rebuked softly, reaching up to comfort the mare, unsure of what exactly had gotten into her pretty horse, "-you'll frighten him. Be still. He is just a little fox." The golden woman said soothingly, before turning back to look at the black fox. He had not scurried away thankfully, but he was now half hidden behind the briar.

"Hello little friend." Loteriel said softly, smiling amiably as she took a careful step forward. "What's your name?" She asked, hoping to quickly earn the pretty creature's trust. There was an eerie, appealing charisma to his air, it was quite magnetic and Loteriel was curious about it as she had never felt such an aura from a fox. The charming creatures normally emanated an astuteness, but this one felt somehow… hypnotic.

 _ **I am Arun, m'lady.**_ The fox's voice quietly resonated in her mind. As she was kin of the Lady of Earth, she had learned from her how to open her mind to the voices of animals. However, she was still surprised when she heard the fox's voice. He spoke in such clear, full sentences. Most creatures spoke with few words, and more gestures and actions

"Well met, Arun. I am Loteriel." Happy that Arun had deemed her trustworthy enough to approach, Loteriel stepped closer until she was close enough to bend down to better look in his eyes. They truly were as deep and dark as obsidian. "What are you doing in Fangorn?" She asked, suddenly feeling a faint twinge of restlessness as she continued to gaze into Arun's eyes.

 _ **I come here to see the bearded iris. Their plentiful in Fangorn and I'm really quite partial to them.**_ Loteriel's smile brightened beautifully, her eyes gleaming with joy at the mention of the beautiful flower. She was an avid lover of all flowers, the mere thought of a pretty rosa, bright starflower, moonflower or any other kind of blossom brought a joyous smile to her face.

"Bearded iris? How lovely!" Eager to see the flowers as well, Loteriel rose to her feet and smiled at the fox. "Could I accompany you?"

 _ **You are fond of flowers, m'lady?**_

"I adore flowers, Arun." She confessed. The fox's body shook slightly as Loteriel heard a low chuckle come from him.

 _ **Well then, follow me m'lady.**_ Arun said and turned to lead the way into the forest. Loteriel smiled and followed the black fox, keeping pace with him easily while Roccotari stayed close behind them both. The mare's eyes shifted uneasily toward the fox constantly, and she stood closer to Loteriel the further they traveled into the forest.

 _Unsafe._ The mare echoed in Loteriel's open mind, but the golden woman remained unaware of her mare's unease, for something- or rather, someone made sure that the only voice Loteriel could hear was Arun's. And so, she continued to follow the black fox, the feeling of unease in her own heart being muffled by the magnetism Arun exuded.

They did not trek far, no more than five minutes passed before they arrived at a hedgerow, it was tall and displayed a variety of green shades. It didn't look very thick either.

 _ **We're here.**_ Arun said to Loteriel. _**The bearded iris grow just beyond this brush.**_

"Well then let's get through." The smiling woman said. She paused for only a moment to turn to Roccotari, extending a hand to pat the mare's nose gently. "Wait here Roccotari, I won't be long. I promise." She then reached out, before the mare could show her unease, and gently pulled aside the branches and shrubbery, lowering herself so that she could better squeeze through the wall of hedgerow.

The black fox and golden woman quickly emerged out of the opposite side of the thicket. Aware that she likely had leaves and branches in her hair, Loteriel laughed and brushed a hand through the golden locks as she lifted her head.

Abruptly, her arm dropped to her side.

"By the Valar." Loteriel whispered, her eyes wide with awe. She could barely believe what she was seeing. Nestled before her was a beautiful meadow of black bearded iris, it was as if an ocean of gleaming black waves had traveled into Fangorn forest and oh how they gleamed! Each and every flower seemed to glow an aura of glistening black, almost a purple black, and the fragrance of the bearded iris… it was indescribable. Enchanting. Hypnotic.

"Arun they're beautiful!" Loteriel breathed, stepping closer to the meadow of bearded iris, her eyes wide and dazed. She suddenly felt the need, the dire need to lie in the meadow of smooth black blossoms. She wanted to feel the silk of dark petals against her skin and bathe in the sweet, alluring scent that seemed to call to her, whisper to her to come closer. To take a rest and nap in the dark meadow.

 _ **They are beautiful.**_ Arun agreed, his voice like a feather against her skin. _**And they're soft as well. Perfect to rest on, is it not?**_

There was an edge to the voice, a dangerous, dark, malicious edge. The air suddenly became cold, and the aura about the flowers seemed to grow, wisping around like fine mist and reaching for the entranced golden woman. On the other side of the hedge, Roccotari began to neigh wildly, rearing on her hind legs and searching wildly for a way past the mass of green wall.

Loteriel could hear her mare calling to her wildly. She could hear the malice in Arun's whisper. She could feel the danger exuding from the bed of beautiful black flowers, but she couldn't seem to stop walking toward them. Even as her hand fought to reach for the horn strapped to her waist, and the awe in her eyes faded into panic… the whispering flowers pulled her further in. Her panic was numbed as she breathed in the alluring scent, and quickly all she wanted was to lie in the silky bed of petals, bathe in the black misty aura, touch the glinting dark thorns… thorns. Thorns!

Bearded iris did not have thorns!

"Arun. What are you- Release me." Loteriel breathed the order, the strain in her voice evident.

 _ **Are they not enchanting? Would you like to pick some?**_

No! No she...yes. Yes, she did.

Loteriel reached the edge of the meadow and lowered herself to her knees. Panic surged through her as she lifted her hand and reached, but she couldn't stop herself. The flower was so beautiful.

 _No. No. No…_ Loteriel's insides screamed.

Her fingers curled around the stem, the thorns a hair away from piercing her skin.

Roccotari screeched.

"Loteriel! No!"

 _Father?_

Her fingers clasped around the stem. Black thorns burrowed into her flesh. And pain surged through her like liquid fire through her veins.

Gleaming with a mighty power, the Huntsman's flaming aura lit the meadow as he cut down the thicket with a mighty swing of his blade. The Vanyar at his flanks charged swiftly into the meadow.

All were appalled by what they saw.

The Lady Loteriel writhed on the ground, her cries and screams of agony cutting through them like blades. She lied upon a bed of black flowers… black flowers that were slowly fading into pure shadow and slithering through the icy air like snakes. The trails of shadow joined together in a mass of black flames that hugged the form of what looked to them like a small black fox, a fox that seemingly grew larger and larger with every flower that dismantled. Eerie, dark, cruel laughter echoed through the meadow as one by one the black blossoms converged with the black figure that grew to take the form of a towering armoured warrior of dark mist.

Instantly wary, the Vanyar raised their blades high, their eyes focused on the danger growing before them. Most kept their gaze trained on the unknown stranger concealed by shadow, but a few allowed themselves to glimpse at the screaming Ainur at the figure's feet.

"Who are you?" Orome asked, his tone sharp with power. Three words were all he said and yet the very ground seemed to somehow tremble in fear of the Huntsman's rage. "Show yourself!"

The powerful Vala was responded with an echo of mocking, malicious laughter that very nearly drowned out the screams of his daughter. The golden Ainur dug her fingers into the ground and clawed at the earth, feeling as if she was burning from within. What the Vanyar and Vala saw on her body were not flames however, what they saw were the seams within the Ainur's flesh grow dark, and her smooth skin seemed to slowly develop bruises of deep, dark mauve. The larger the shadow figure's aura grew, the more the bruises and seams grew, and the more Loteriel's agonized screams pierced the air.

"Do you not remember me?" The dark voice boomed scornfully, the black flame like aura flourishing wildly. Orome's gaze was lethal, there was a fiery fury in his eyes that could have burned a mortal alive, but it did nothing to the shadow warrior standing over his screaming daughter.

Suddenly, the shadows lashed out in a violent gust of wind. Eerie, evil laughter echoed in their ears, causing the Vanyar to clamp their hands over their ears in pain as they were thrown to the ground by the powerful gale. Now, only the Huntsman stood, his arm raised to shield his eyes as the laughter resonated throughout Fangorn, bringing coldness and despair to every plant and creature. It moved, the shadows hovered over the form of the warrior, completely subservient to him, as he shifted to stand over Orome's screaming daughter's fallen body.

"Loteriel!" Orome roared, a strike of something horrible piercing through his celestial body. No. This was not happening. He was not losing his daughter. How could he? It was impossible! The Huntsman charged, his sword raised high, but he was forced back by the gale of dark winds, tossed back into the protective arms of his huntsmen. Incredulous, Orome's wide eyes stared at the figure before him. How?! This was impossible!

The shadow figured believed otherwise. It was not impossible to crumple the force of the Lord of Forests. Far from it. Though Orome could not see the figure's face, somehow he knew, without a doubt, that he was smiling. Haughtily. Tauntingly. Maliciously.

"You will." He whispered, the two words plunging the Huntsman of the Vala into a dark ocean of fear. Never before had he felt this way, never before had anyone dared even attempt to make him feel this way... Loteriel. His sweet, young daughter.

A cloak of darkness draped over Loteriel's thrashing body. Orome roared and charged again, but he was much too late. The shadows pulsed violently, the power forcing back the Vala once again. A funnel of darkness whirled around the two, encasing them in whirling shadows and concealing them from the view of the Vala and his Vanyar.

"You will remember me." The dark voice taunted one more. Then suddenly, they vanished. The funnel faded, the shadows dispersed, and when Orome and his hunters looked they found no trace of the black warrior or the golden Ainur. No trace at all. Not even the black bearded iris had remained. The only thing that remained behind was the chilled air and the echo of taunting laughter.

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 **I missed cliffhangers...**

 **Loteriel, also known as Nielíqui. Nielíqui is actually the name that I discovered in Tolkien lore, there is not much in her story besides her name and lineage though. I was sort of inspired by the story of Persephone here.**


	2. Chapter 2

**My goodness it has been far too long since I last updated Melda Aranel.**

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The pain was indescribable. Loteriel thanked the Valar that it only came when _he_ was with her… when _he_ _chose_ to inflict it on her.

 _He's in control after all._ Loteriel thought bitterly. An intense, rancorous rage boiled within the Ainur as she thought about the dark figure that imprisoned her and tormented her. He enjoyed it. He relished what he did to her. She could see it in his cold, black eyes when he watched her writhe in pain beneath his power. He humiliated her, he enraged her, and not only that… he made her despise herself. She still couldn't believe it! Such utter foolishness. He had deceived her; he'd used her love and blind trust for animals and flowers to lure her into this prison!

Loteriel suddenly growled in frustration and slammed her already bruised hands against the iron bars of her cage, then hissed and recoiled when the venom that coated the cold iron seared through her wounds. He'd done everything possible to prevent her from escaping her crudely formed, bird cage shaped prison. She'd wounded herself more than once against the jagged edges of iron, her bare feet were nearly completely covered in her blood. Her blood adorned her from head to toe in slashes and small pools; her once white gown was now stained with grime and other foul substances that the Orcs had used in their many sessions of torture. Her waves of silky hair no longer gleamed like gold, her body no longer shown with an ethereal light… now, only her eyes glimmered, and even they did not gleam as beautifully as they once had. That frightened Loteriel very, very much. Was he trying to rob her of her immortality? Would the poison on these bars rid her of her Ainur abilities completely? Loteriel was scared. Scared and angry. And it made her even angrier that she knew she was scared

"Feeling distressed, beloved princess?" Loteriel snarled at the deep, husky voice. He'd returned. The shadowy figure. She was yet to see his face, he never removed his black armored mask; she could just barely see his eyes, nose, and mouth.

"Who are you?!" Loteriel growled harshly, resisting the urge to slam her hands against the bars as she glowered at her captor. "What do you want with me?!"

He chuckled mockingly as he slowly stalked around her cage, his armored boots thumping sharply with every slow, calculated step he took. "I'm rather disappointed in you, Loteriel." He said, lifting a finger to tap it against the bars as he continued to saunter about her prison. "I would have imagined you would have figured out who I am by now."

He was baiting her. Trying to get a rise out of her. She refused to play his little game and said absolutely nothing as she glared into his black gaze, her fists clenched so tight that she could feel her own nails draw blood.

Seeing that she would not be taking the bait this time, the dark armored figure sighed in defeat and came to a stop right in front of her. "I go by many names, Loteriel. Arun, Belcha, Alkar, Bauglir… Morgoth."

Loteriel's gasp was audible. Morgoth's evil smile chilled the air. Morgoth… The Dark Lord… Loteriel had only heard stories of his evil. She'd not yet been born during the dark times that Morgoth had plagued Valinor, and she had been protected from the history of such times by her father and mother. She knew only what her uncle had told her, and even that had not been much… but the name. The very thought of the name brought a chill over her spine.

"Morgoth?" She whispered.

"Yes, my dear."

"Impossible!" Loteriel hissed, her eyes wide as her mind rushed through the vague tale her uncle had told her. "You were imprisoned!" That brought a cold frown to the Dark Lord's face.

"Yes, I was." He murmured darkly. "The Valar imprisoned me behind the Moritarnon. Fear not, beloved princess, for there I still remain." Loteriel's eyes narrowed, her expression wary as the Dark Lord began to stalk around her cage once again.

"This is not my true body, you see. Merely a body formed of shadows and darkness provided to me by my own power, and that of Sauron, my most trusted servant." Morgoth lifted a hand and took a lock of Loteriel's dull gold hair, he lifted it slowly to his lips, his touch deceivingly gentle. The young Ainur had to use all of her strength and self control to keep herself from recoiling. "I may lie beyond the Door of Night, but he lies here. Among the kin of those who confined me. A servant of Morgoth he remains, his power is my own." Morgoth breathed in the scent of the young Ainur's hair, there still was a hint of flowery sweetness there.

Dropping the lock of hair, the Dark Lord continued to stride, his tone turning thoughtful. "Yes, he was indeed defeated and rid of his corporeal form, but now? Now master and servant have managed to bond their power, as it were, and thus we have the intangible form you see before you." The Dark Lord stopped once again, this time positioning himself behind the injured Ainur, there he leaned forward ever so slightly to whisper into her ear,

"I will break through the Door, and you, beloved princess, will help me to do exactly that." This time, Loteriel did recoil, she didn't even mind that her wounds began to sting as if they had caught on fire. All she wanted was to keep far from the icy, evil presence that the Dark Lord's metaphysical form emitted.

"I would never help you!" Loteriel hissed, her teeth gritted in an attempt to confine her mewls of pain. She glared viciously at the Dark Lord, her fear all but forgotten as temper and hatred boiled beneath the surface.

"Oh, but of course you will, my beloved." His malicious laughter pierced the air as he moved to stand before the young Ainur, arrogance deep in his pitch black gaze. "You'll have no choice." Loteriel's eyes widened, he'd spoken the words with such cold-blooded malevolence, it chilled Loteriel to the bone.

She had no chance to speak or think before she was suddenly writhing as indescribable pain consumed her entirely. She felt… she felt as if a poisonous fire was burning her from within, coursing through her veins and killing her slowly from the inside; unbearably slow. Sometimes, Loteriel could force herself to contain her screams, force herself to hide her pain from her tormentor… this was not one of those times. She screamed and screamed as endless agony flowed through her, eating her alive. Should she have- _could_ she have opened her eyes, she would have seen her veins slowly turning the same dark oxblood color that they always turned when the Dark Lord tortured her. She would have seen the dark, bruise-like splotches that always began to adorn her smooth skin when Morgoth pushed his powerful darkness onto her.

Morgoth watched her with a silent smile for a long moment, watched her writhe and listened to her screams. For Loteriel it seemed like an eternity passed before he finally released her from his painful hold. When he did, there was not much else she could do but grip onto the bars around her in an attempt to keep herself awake and upright as she gasped harshly. She fought hard against the black spots that began to fill her vision, struggled defiantly against the heaviness that threatened to pull her into unconsciousness. Her arms trembled beneath her, she felt so weak, it was a miracle she did not collapse against the cold iron of her cage.

"You see?" Morgoth asked, a taunting edge in his tone. "My venom runs through your veins, Loteriel. Your fate has been tied to the dark times that will soon consume Arda, you were tied to my darkness from the moment you touched my venomous blossoms. It is slowly killing you from within as we speak, that is why it pains you so when I surround you with my dark power.

"Worry not, beloved princess, you will not die. Not yet. The time is not quite right." The Dark Lord shook his head slowly, his smile still adorning his lips.

"I will wait patiently and let all of the Valar watch as you suffer and die a slow, painful death. I will wait patiently as pain and despair fills the hearts of your mother and father. I will wait patiently as you, who are connected to the united power of the Valar, slowly weaken that integrated power." Loteriel's breathed stopped completely, hitching to a halt as understanding and horror ran through her in overwhelming waves. She couldn't stop herself from reacting, not this time. He was trying to kill them, the Valar… her mother and father. He was trying to get to them through her!

"You understand, Loteriel." Morgoth murmured, mirthful malice coloring his tone. "Only when they united their powers against me as one, were they able to finally imprison me. If one dies, they will all weaken." He explained slowly, leaning slowly closer so that he could look into the horrified golden eyes of the young Ainur. "You will die Loteriel," He said mercilessly. "-and in doing so you will help me weaken the integrated power of my kin. You will help me escape the prison they confined me in. You will help me destroy them all."

Loteriel couldn't speak. Terror paralyzed her body, it kept her from saying anything. Her silence alone showed the severity of her fear… Loteriel was her father's daughter and she'd never let herself be silenced by fear and despair. Until now.

"Rest well, beloved princess." Morgoth said, enjoying her silent fear. "A long, painful journey lies ahead for you. You do not want to miss it." And with that last taunt delivered, the shadowy form of the Dark Lord faded into the cold wind, leaving Loteriel alone to her chaotic thoughts and emotions.

She watched him fade until she was alone again with her fear and anger. What was she going to do? She couldn't allow Morgoth to escape his prison. She couldn't let him get to the Valar, to her mother and father. She couldn't! She wouldn't! But what could she do to stop him?! She needed to warn them, that was if they didn't already know, and even if they did already know she still had to ward off her mother and father. They would come for her if they knew where she was, she knew that… that was why she had hidden herself from them. Hidden her presence from their senses and closed the bond she held with them as tightly as she possibly could. She could trust that the rest would restrain themselves, they would maintain an almost indifferent composure in an attempt to still Orome's willingness to take immediate action.

Her father would come for her. She knew he would if he knew where she was, but she couldn't risk him. Morgoth's plans were frighteningly precise and he knew full well that he could use her to wound the Valar's integrated power. However, what he did not know was that he had most definitely chosen the wrong damsel in distress to use as leverage.

 _All right, Loteriel. It's time to remember everything you've been taught._

"I am my father's daughter." Loteriel whispered to herself, pride slowly filling her as she repeated the words over and over.

"How is the princessss feeling?" A mocking, hoarse voice suddenly hissed, drawing Loteriel's attention. Her upper lip rose ever so slightly in a show of disgust as she watched the Orcs that guarded her come by her bird cage to check on her. It seemed that Morgoth had set up an encampment of sorts specifically meant to imprison and guard her; she had been placed in the very center of the encampment with her large bird cage hanging from a tall tree.

"The Master has gone and left you alone again, has he?" Another Orc asked with malicious glee as he waddled toward her cage, the evil intent in their eyes evident. They often tormented her when the Dark Lord left her alone, making sure to not go too far for fear that Morgoth would gift them with an agonizing death. That, however, did not mean that they could not make Loteriel's pain just a little worse. They were the ones who had practically drowned her in the vile smelling black liquid that still coated the cage bars. Whatever it had been, Loteriel knew for sure that it was some sort of venom meant to keep her weak and frail. Meant to keep her from trying to escape.

"You mustn't feel lonely, princess." Yet another Orc grunted. She was quickly becoming surrounded.

"Yeah! Don't feel lonely!"

"We'll keep you company." Their cackles filled the cold air as Loteriel glared loathsomely at the Orcs.

 _First step?_ Loteriel thought to herself. _Get out of this cage._

"Are you thirsty, princess?" The gross Orc asked as he gripped onto the bars of her prison and thrashed it harshly, jostling her purposefully.

 _Second step?_

"Bring the princess her special drink!" He ordered with a wide, evil grin.

 _Kill every last one of these filthy Orcs._

Loteriel gritted her teeth as the Orc in front of her was handed a large, foul smelling canteen.

Suddenly, an arrow pierced the Orc holding the canteen, catching him right between the eyes and killing him instantly. Loteriel's eyes widened as she began to search the night for the archer and the Orc's began to scurry toward their weapons and raise them high. He came quite literally out of nowhere, suddenly descending mightily upon the encampment of Orcs like a ray of golden sunlight. He had not yet met the Orcs head on and already he had shot down a multitude of them with his arrows in a matter of seconds!

"Kill him!" The Orcs roared.

"Don't let them escape!"

"Guard the prisoner!" Loteriel scowled at that one and growled as Orcs began to surround her cage. Unfortunately for them, they had decided to stand much too close to the cage. Usually this would have earned her a punishment, but now? Seeing as she wasn't alone, she needn't have worried about that. Reaching through the bars, Loteriel grabbed the heads of two Orcs and bashed their heads together with all of the force she could muster, ignoring the pain that coursed through her when the "special drink" touched her open wounds. She then quickly caught one of their blades as they fell and pulled it into her cage before the other Orcs could stop her. They quickly tried to disarm her, reaching toward her to take the grimy blade from her, but she would have none of it. It took two eye gauges, three dismembered arms and eight dismembered fingers before they realized that they would not be disarming her any time soon.

Sticking the blade out through the bars, Loteriel ran it through the last Orc head and yanked it back harshly. The body fell lifelessly and the young Ainur was left breathing heavily, her legs and arm trembling ever so slightly as she lifted her head to search the encampment. The ground was completely covered in lifeless Orc bodies. The only remaining moving figure was that of the mighty warrior who sat upon his tall, white steed. There was something familiar and warm about his presence, the angelic light that he emitted caressed Loteriel's body with some much needed warmth and comfort.

Apparently she had been wrong. The first step? It was actually kill every last one of these Orcs. The second step? Be rescued by a gleaming, golden warrior. She was much too relieved and happy to begrudge the thought of being a damsel in distress.

"Loteriel." The warrior called out, relief coloring his tone as he dismounted his mighty, white steed and removed his protective helmet. Loteriel's eyes widened and watered, and a bright, joyous smile adorned her lips as she recognized the face of her savior.

"Glorfindel!" She was safe. Oh, thank the Valar, she was finally safe! Relieved tears streaked down Loteriel's cheeks as she dropped the blade in her hands and collapsed onto the black bars of her cage; the adrenaline draining from her body and reverting her to her previous weakened state.

Glorfindel, a courageous and powerful warrior, rushed to where Loteriel was imprisoned, his bright, keen crystal blue eyes searching the cage for the door. He found it quickly and moved swiftly toward the hatch.

"Careful." Loteriel whispered faintly, her injured hand rising to ward off his hands. His gaze sharpened, a subtle ire setting his blue eyes ablaze as he looked over the heavily wounded body of the young Ainur. "The cage is coated with a weakening venom."

Glorfindel paid no mind to Loteriel's warning, he cared about nothing else but getting her out of that wretched cage. The powerful elf yanked open the hatch with profound strength then quickly reached in to tenderly lift the slender body of the Ainur into his arms and cradle her close to his chest.

Loteriel, deciding to allow herself to lean on Glorfidenl just this once, lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck and rested her head against his chest. He was so warm and strong, she felt completely safe in his embrace.

"You came." She whispered, the sting of tears threatening to spill once again. "You came." She said again, her hands tightening as Glorfindel carried her toward his white steed.

"Of course I came, Loteriel." He said, a gentle smile on his lips. The fire in his eyes had not yet gone, the displeasure was still clear in the pools of clean blue, but a tenderness had softened his gaze as he tightened his hold comfortingly on Loteriel for a long moment. He then carefully mounted his horse, his hold on Loteriel never softening as he somehow managed to easily settle on his horse's back and place Loteriel on his lap. He was about to ask her if she was comfortable, but stopped himself when he felt her arms loosen from around his neck. Concerned, Glorfindel quickly looked down, his furrowed brow softening when he realized that she had simply fallen asleep against him with a soft, soothed smile.

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 **This was a difficult chapter, but I thoroughly enjoyed writing it.**

* * *

 **DarylDixon'sLover**

Thanks so much!

 **Celridel**

Wow! I didn't know that little bit of singular and plural information. Thanks so much for informing me of this detail, I'll definitely be going back to chapter one and fixing those as well as the grammatical errors. Thanks for reading, Celridel! I hope you liked this chapter too. I look forward to your feedback and suggestions **.**


	3. Chapter 3

**It seems I've lost my train of thought when it comes to this story.**

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It was dark. There wasn't a single thing in sight. No Orcs, no Morgoth, no Glorfindel; nothing, noone. Was it odd that she couldn't exactly feel anything either? She was alive, she knew that much, but she wasn't entirely sure of whether or not she was awake. This feeling, it was strange and also familiar; it felt weightless, peaceful, dreamlike… yes, that's it. Dreamlike!

Lorien was here!

"Loteriel." The young Ainur startled awake- or un-awake? She wasn't entirely sure. Despite her consistent badgering, Lorien had not yet fully explained to her the ways of his powers. Was she in a waking dream? A sleeping dream? Was she really dreaming at all?

That was all irrelevant, of course. Or at least, it was in the moment.

Opening her eyes, Loteriel found herself among the stars. Familiar stars. She knew these stars well, she'd lied on the ground gazing up at them for hours at a time when she had been younger... and, in fact, she still often did.

She was on the highest peak, on Taniquetil, in the garden grounds of Ilmarin… the palace, the watchtower of Manwe and Varda. It was the absolute perfect place to watch the twinkling lights of stars high above. Of course it would, it was the home of the Queen of the Stars.

"Loteriel." Tearing her eyes away from the gleaming stars, Loteriel turned and found herself faced with the Valar; every last one of them. Her family. Her eyes fell on the utterly stunning Ainur only a few feet in front of her. Her long hair flowed down below her hips in a waterfall of molten gold, her tender golden eyes were filled with a warm, loving light… and her features, they were incredibly similar to her own. The same lean, petite frame. The same molten gold hair. The same fine jawline and slim nose.

"Mother!" Loteriel cried out and ran into her mother's open arms. Oh how real it felt! She could feel the warmth of her mother's touch as if she were truly standing with her atop Taniquetil!

"My darling girl." The radiant Ainur whispered, pain in her tone as she held onto her daughter like a lifeline. She looked up when her husband, Orome, approached them, his deep green eyes locked on his daughters slim frame. There were patches of healing bruises and thin lashes all over her smooth, fair skin. And her aura… it was fading. A subtle light of fear filled his gaze and he looked to his wife, the same look of fear in her eyes as she held on tightly to their daughter.

For a moment, just for a brief moment, Loteriel allowed herself to burrow into the warmth and safety of her mother's arms. Allowed herself to forget and return to a time, not long ago at all, when she had never felt the lash of a blade or whip or venom. Just for a moment.

But then the dark words of Morgoth found their way to the forefront of her mind, and Loteriel pulled away from her mother and father to look to her King and Queen, her eyes wide and solemn.

"It was Morgoth." She said urgently as she approached the ethereal beings that stood before her among the rest of her kin. "The Dark Lord has found a way to slip a- a metaphysical form of his mind through the doors and into Middle Earth." The Queen of the Stars stepped forth and set a gentle hand upon the young Ainur's shoulder, a feeling of soothing calm immediately resting over Loteriel like a blanket.

"We know this, young one." Varda said kindly, her thin fingers reaching out to calmly, softly caress Loteriel's hair as her eyes widened ever so slightly with surprise and confusion. Manwe stepped to his wife's side before Loteriel, the difference between husband and wife almost literally like day and night. While her husband held incredible fair hair, like a light ray of golden sun, and blue eyes like the color of a cloudless sky; Varda held the night sky for hair, a midnight black, with eyes the eerie silvery color of the moon and stars.

"It was not long after you were taken that your father discovered it was he." The King said gently, his gaze briefly roaming the injured state of the young Ainur, but his eyes gave little away of displeasure he felt at knowing she had suffered.

"I should have known the moment we encountered him." Orome growled lowly, his green eyes blazing with rage as he and his wife stepped up to stand by their daughter's sides. Loteriel looked up to her father, frowning when he would not look her in the eyes in return. Knowing very well the dark, and self faulting, thoughts that would be coursing through her father's mind, Loteriel lifted her foot and brought it down forcefully upon the booted foot of the Lord of Forests. Orome's eyes widened ever so slightly in astonishment as he looked down toward his daughter and lifted a questioning brow, a look on his face that silently asked: "Did you really just stomp on my foot?"

"Yes, I did just do that." Loteriel said boldly, momentarily forgetting her "manners" as she looked up at her father boldly, her wild and brilliant green eyes, much like his own, holding his gaze. "You will not blame yourself." She said, her voice strong, almost commandingly firm. "You will be angry, you will be resolute, you will fight this darkness… but you will not blame yourself."

For a moment, there was only silence as Orome stared back at his daughter, both Ainur were strong willed enough to not want to look away until they made sure they understood each other. Loteriel was right, he would be angry, resolute, and he most definitely would destroy he who dared lay a harming hand on his daughter… He would also blame himself. He, a mighty Valar, a powerful warrior, and a protective father, should have been able to stop her from feeling such pain. But she, his mighty, strong daughter, would not allow him to place the blame on himself. She would not allow it...

The staring match between father a daughter continued, until finally Orome- much to everyone's surprise and very silent amusement- nodded once, a smile pulling on the corner of the powerful Lord's mouth. Temporarily reassured, Loteriel turned to look at her King and Queen once again, a little surprised to see soft smiles on their mouths and kind sparkles in their eyes.

"Your young one speaks wisely, Orome." Varda said with a tenderness in her silvery gaze.

"Loteriel." The young Ainur lifted her eyes to the King of the Valar. "What can you tell us? What is this darkness planning?" Manwe asked gently, unwilling to force her to remember her pains but needing to be aware of what was to come. The King was pleasantly surprised when Loteriel's green gaze flashed with fierce determination and anger, though he did not miss the fear that touched her eyes upon his questions.

"He plans for me to die a slow, agonizing death, and in doing so he hopes to weaken the united power of the Valar." The stunned silence was palpable.

"So he has discovered the vulnerability." Lorien said calmly as he stepped closer, a troubled look deep in his eyes.

"It was not until Tulkas descended into Arda and united his power with our own that we were able to finally lock Morgoth in his lonely prison." Vairë said softly, drawing the attention of her fellow Ainur. "Were one of us to fall, our collective power would be thrown out of balance. The act would weaken that power just enough that... if he were to make his escape, it would allow him to deal a dangerous blow to us... His power would once again enter Arda."

"His power has already entered Arda, he was able to take Nielíqui with these powers." Mandos said candidly.

"No, it was not his power that took me, my lord." Loteriel said, only a tiny bit irked by the use of her proper name. "Morgoth has somehow found a way to speak to Sauron through their dark connections. I believe he's discovered a way to merge his inner mind to that of Sauron's. It is Sauron's power that allows Morgoth to create his shadowy form, but Morgoth's mere thoughts somehow… strengthens it. Though not enough to make his form solid for long, he could not do me bodily harm even once in the time he held me. He relied entirely on the power he holds over shadow."

"Yes." Estë suddenly said as she stepped forward, her gentle gaze intent on Loteriel as she approached the young Ainur and pressed a fair hand against her cheek. "Though it was enough to tie you to it." Loteriel shouldn't have been surprised, but she was nonetheless.

"Tie her?" Vana asked, a panic rising in her voice. "Tie her to what?" It was not the gentle healer, but her husband, the Master of Visions, who answered his fellow Ainur's question.

"To the fate of Middle Earth, and the darkness that threatens it now." He said as, he too, stepped toward Loteriel, standing beside his wife as she searched the young Ainur thoroughly with her penetrating bluish-grey eyes.

"There is a darkness in your veins. Almost like a venom. It is meant to grow stronger within you and overcome you as the dark forces in Middle-Earth grow in power. Should this darkness prevail… I fear it will mean your death, Loteriel." Estë said, her knowing gaze rising to meet Loteriel's green eyes. The young Ainur was unsurprised, Morgoth had told her as much during his sessions of torment. Her mother and father, however, were not very happy to discover this.

"Her fate, her life, is tied to the fate of the darkness in Middle-Earth?" Vana asked, her golden eyes wide with a deep, unimaginable fear for her only daughter.

"I must go to Middle-Earth and destroy this darkness." Orome said darkly, decidedly. Three no's responded to his exclamation, one from Manwe, one from Varda, and one from his own daughter.

"You cannot go to Middle-Earth, father. He's expecting you to do exactly that." Loteriel cried.

"Now, more than ever, we must remain united, Orome." Manwe said.

"Manwe is right, Orome. With Loteriel's powers weakened, we cannot allow for another to be risked. And your daughter is right, as well, Orome." Varda agreed.

"No doubt he chose to target Loteriel so that he could do most harm. With her life in danger, it would mean that both you and Vana would be affected, and in doing so he also must hope to affect Yavanna and myself." Aulë, Loteriel's uncle, said from beside his wife, both standing close to her parent's sides.

"She is my daughter." Orome said lowly, a dangerous edge to his tone. "I will do whatever I must to save her." Loteriel looked at her father, his bright green eyes flashing wildly with temper and violence as he glowered at the ground… Yes, he would do whatever it took to save her. He'd risk himself and, in doing so, would risk so much more. He was her father, and he loved her very much… As she loved him and her mother. And all of their kin. The Valar were not cold, not in the slightest, Loteriel could see it, she could feel it… they were not happy to see one of their own in such danger. They all also understood however. They understood that, should anything happen to Orome, they're strength would take a very dangerous blow, and Morgoth, with his terrible darkness, would have an even better opportunity to escape a wreak havoc upon Arda.

"No, father." Loteriel said, drawing Orome's stunned gaze to her. " _I_ will do whatever I must to save myself."

"You cannot stay on Middle-Earth, Loteriel!" Vana exclaimed, understanding what her daughter intended to do immediately. "You must return. Home. To me and to your father." Turning away from her father, who was still rather stunned at having been stood up to by his sweet little daughter, Loteriel looked at her mother directly.

"I will, mother. I will return to you and father… but first, I must save myself. I must save you. All of you." Eyes wide, Vana stared back at her young daughter. At the fierceness and strength in her vibrant green eyes. She had only ever seen utter happiness and youthful innocence in Loteriel, she had never had to worry about much else in her sheltered life. She'd often spend her days dancing in her father's gardens, smiling and laughing with her friends- animal or not- and pestering her kin to no end. Yes, she had always had a certain boldness, a certain rebelliousness to her… but now it was utterly clear.

"You cannot ask me to leave my fate in the hands of others. Others that I do not know and that do not know me. And I will not allow you or father to risk your fates in the process of saving mine."

"Allow?" Orome suddenly asked in a dangerously low tone, the word pulling him from his momentary stunned silence. His daughter would not allow him to save her?! Vana ignored the ire in her husband's voice and looked into her daughter eyes. She was not being rebellious now. She was truly trying to protect her mother, father, and all of her kin. She was trying to save them all, and herself.

Oh, her sweet darling little girl... She was so strong.

"Your daughter is trying to protect us, Orome." Vana said quietly, a subtle quiver in her tone. "She's trying to do the right thing for us all. She's trying to save herself and all of us with her… You should be proud." Loteriel, very surprised, blinked twice in bewilderment before suddenly being pulled into an air constricting hug.

When she was released from her hug, Loteriel turned to the King and Queen, a solemn look on her face. "I must do this. I will do this." She said, her resolve clear in her very tone. Manwe and Varda were silent for a moment, both pleased and proud at the young Ainur's strength, then Manwe looked to the Lord of Forests, who did not look quite as pleased and proud in the moment.

"She will not be alone in her quest, Orome. The darkness in Middle-Earth has become great, Glorfindel himself has been sent to assist in this battle. He will be with Loteriel." The words had been meant to comfort, but they seemed to accomplish quite the opposite effect.

"Father." Orome met his daughter's determined gaze. He'd always been proud of his little daughter's strength… but now he felt almost as if her strength was shutting him out. Keeping him from taking care of her as he should, as he wanted. "Please. Have faith in me. Let me face this darkness. Let me save myself. Let me protect you, like you have always protected me." Orome did not move or speak or even react, he simply stared back at his young daughter unmovingly. Until she touched him. He would have been able to maintain his composure, had she not reached out to take his hand. Before he could stop himself, he was pulling her into a tight, warm embrace. He did not speak, not a single word, he simply held onto Loteriel as if he would never let her go again.

Whether it was an agreement or not, was left unanswered. Loteriel, and the Valar, knew better than to expect an outright approval from the Lord of Forests.

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 **I had a little bit of trouble with this chapter. I had to do some thorough research on the characteristics of the Valar so that I could try to do them justice.**


	4. Chapter 4

**This one will be very short since I am having some difficulty getting back into these character personalities and I'll apologize now if Elrond or Glorfindel seem a bit ooc.**

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Loteriel startled awake… again? This time finding herself, not in Taniquetil, but in a beautiful room of white stone, sheer drapery, and warm sunlight. She could feel the softness of a bed beneath her, the fluffy, cushion of a pillow cradling her head, the silky smoothness of a quilt keeping her warm, and the watchful gaze of a presence in her room.

"Rest easy, Loteriel, you are safe." Sitting up abruptly, Loteriel quickly found the clear blue gaze of Glorfindel; he stood on the terrace, the sun creating a sort of halo over his tall frame as it rose behind him in the morning sky. A morning sky?

"How long?" She asked him, knowing well that she had likely been resting for more than a single night. Glorfindel watched her for a moment, knowing well what she would say if he told her the truth… but he would not lie to her.

"Three days." He said, then smiled ever so slightly when the stubborn little Ainu tossed the covers off of her, swung her legs off the bed, and stood.

"Then I have rested enough." Loteriel said, a little surprised to find herself in a new gown of pure white; she felt fresh, clean, and… she felt no pain. Lifting her arms, Loteriel pushed her long sleeves up to her elbows and checked her skin for any bruises or lashes. She had none.

Looking up, Loteriel found a panel of reflective silver above an intricate wooden table, and hesitated for a moment before rushing to it… She hadn't realized she was holding her breath until she saw herself in the silvery reflection, and released a heavy sigh of relief. There were no bruises or lashes on her face, but that was not what relieved her; it was the glow. Her skin, her hair, her eyes… they gleamed once again with the subtle, ethereal light of an Ainur.

Glorfindel's reflection appeared beside her in the looking glass, his watchful, crystal blue gaze intent on her reactions.

"I feared for a moment that he had indeed taken my life from Valinor." Loteriel whispered as she lifted a hand to her golden hair.

"He has not the power to do so." Glorfindel said from behind her, a slight firmness in his tone that prompted Loteriel to turn and meet his gaze. There was such bravery and courage in his eyes, such unyielding power and assurance. It had always been a comfort to her, that self assurance. If Glorfindel said everything was going to be okay, Loteriel had often tended to believe him, without a shadow of a doubt. Now? Well, she was a bit troubled and, for some odd reason, she didn't feel sure about a lot of things. Even if Glorfindel seemingly did.

"He already has, Glorfindel." She said, her eyes somewhat saddened. "I'm here aren't I? And I can't go back… not until I've destroyed this darkness looming over me." She couldn't see it, the venom inside her, but she knew it was there. She'd seen it enough times to be sure, and she had even been told by Este herself that it was there. She couldn't go back home. Not until she was truly free of it.

Loteriel almost laughed aloud as true realization rose within. It was only a few days ago that she was dancing in her fathers gardens without a care in the world, without a worry of darkness and torment and death. Just a few days ago she never would have even imagined that death was a possibility for her… She had told her mother and father and kin that she could do this, that she could face this evil and save herself. Now she couldn't help but ask herself how she was going to do it! She knew not of the darkness that plagued Middle Earth, she knew not of what to do, where to go, who to see. She knew only that she was in an entirely new world, on her own, and that her life depended on the outcome of the fate of this world… She was no longer in her father's gardens.

"Loteriel." The golden Ainu blinked and looked up to find that Glorfindel was looking down at her, watching her intently, almost as if he hoped to see into her heart and mind. At times, she had wondered if he actually could.

Lifting a hand, the handsome warrior set it on her shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. "You will return home, Loteriel." He said gently. "I will make sure of this."

Usually, that would have been one of the worst things to tell Loteriel, but in that moment? It was exactly what she needed to bring herself out of her fear and despair. The young Ainu was independent to a fault, she often felt the need to show herself, and everyone else, that she could very well take care of herself. Especially when others, such as her father and mother, tried to keep her within their protective grasp; all who knew her had learned early on that such actions infuriated her, and prompted her more rebellious nature to arise… Glorfindel knew this well.

Despite being in the most frightening situation that she had ever been in in her entire life, Loteriel's response to Glorfindel's words was as bold as ever.

"You are right." Loteriel said as she stepped back and lifted her chin. "I _will_ make sure of it." Glorfindel's lips lifted into a small smile and Loteriel realized quite suddenly that she had been tricked. She then surprised them both by bursting into a fit of elated laughter.

"It seems you have not forgotten my character, Glorfindel." The golden Aniur said softly after her laughter faded, her bright green eyes meeting his brilliant blue gaze.

It was no surprise that he knew her so well. The two had known each other for quite some time. From the moment that Glorfindel had encountered the small, golden haired maiden he had been enchanted by her. He'd found her in her father's woods, dancing shoeless while Omar sang in the nearby distance. He had wandered into the woods in hopes of laying eyes upon the renowned beauty of Nielíqui, the daughter of the Queen of Flowers and Lord of Forests. It had been said that she was a small maiden that was often found dancing to her heart's content. A maiden of incredible beauty and joy and nerve. A maiden who loved all that was flora and fauna, and shared the remarkable power of the hunt, the swift, the earth, and the blossoms of youth.

He had quickly discovered that she boasted a boldness almost as striking as her beauty, and he had enjoyed that moxie... for a thousand years. Then he had returned to Middle Earth, as an emissary of the Valar.

About another thousand years had passed since Glorfindel had returned to Middle Earth. About a thousand years had passed since they had last seen each other.

He was surprised. Did she believe he could forget her?

Glorfindel stepped forward, prompting Loteriel to lift her gaze further until she was practically looking straight upward to be able to maintain her gaze on his. She truly disliked being so small, but, in that moment, she didn't feel as if she was being upper handed. Not at all. She didn't look away from him, not even when she felt the soft touch of the tips of his fingers upon her right temple.

"I could no more forget your character than I could forget mine, Loteriel."

They looked at each other for a long moment… then suddenly they both stepped away and looked toward the entrance of the room where, moments later, Lord Elrond himself stepped in. One look, and Loteriel knew that the elf lord was glad that she was awake. A small smile curved the corners of his thin lips as he stepped forward, his head bowed ever so slightly in a respectful greeting. But there was something more, something in the elf lord's eyes that both Glorfindel and Loteriel recognized as trouble.

"Welcome, Lady Loteriel," The golden Ainur blinked, it wasn't often that she was addressed by Loteriel to those who knew her first as Nielíqui. "Daughter of the Valar." Loteriel smiled brightly at the elf lord as he approached her; he lowered into a bow of respect before her, and Loteriel immediately recognized him as the elf who had healed her. She could feel the power coming from him, from the blue ring on his finger, in waves.

"My Lord Elrond." Glorfindel bowed his head respectfully and gestured for Loteriel to do the same with a glance of his bright blue eyes. The golden haired Ainur, however, missed this meaningful glance and simply cast a brilliant smile upon the elf lord as he slowly straightened up from his bow.

"Lord Elrond." She said. "You've healed the marks." Looking down, she lifted her hands and touched her fingers to her palms… there were no signs of the deep cuts that had adorned her smooth skin once. Her body looked completely unmarked. "Thank you. Now if only the healing could sink deeper." She jested darkly, knowing well that the elf lord would have likely sensed the darkness seeping within her.

"Loteriel." The Ainur blinked in surprise and looked to Glorfindel, he was casting a rather odd look on her. Was he amused? Exasperated? Stunned? She couldn't quite tell. She did recognize that tone of voice though. It was the tone he had often used when she was very obviously beginning to agitate one of the Valar with her relentless pestering and was refusing to give up. She'd often been both confused and amused by that tone. Being the honorable man that he was, Glorfindel was forever respectful toward every and all persons who were deserving of it. Loteriel, however, was more than a tad unconventional compared to his regal composure.

"Have I said something wrong?" She asked, sounding so genuinely bewildered at the subtle rebuke that Lord Elrond himself could not keep a soft chuckle from escaping.

"Nothing at all, Lady Loteriel." The dark haired elf said with a soft smile. "You are feeling well then, my lady?" He asked, the hint of something troubling returning to his eyes. Loteriel's smile faltered and she glanced at Glorfindel, they both knew there was something the the Lord of Rivendell was wanting to tell them. Something important.

"I am, Lord Elrond." Loteriel nodded, then smiled softly. "Now tell us what is troubling you." She said, once again prompting Glorfindel to shoot her a slightly rebuking glance. This time she ignored his look and focused on what Lord Elrond was about to tell them because… something told her that she was about to discover her path in this dangerous, dark journey.


	5. Chapter 5

**Writer's Block has decided to give me a little bit of a break.**

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Loteriel had been dangerously close to losing her patience with the Lord of Rivendell.

Despite their almost casual meeting, in which Loteriel had believed that they could quickly move past the formalities and reverence, it had turned out that Lord Elrond was far from ready to treat her as more of a kin than an Ainur. She could understand his need to address her as 'Lady Loteriel,' and his very mannerly prose and movements in her presence. However, once it had become apparent to her that he was attempting to shield her from the troubling news that had reached him... Well, she was far from amused.

Was she an Ainu? Was she a daughter of the Valar? Yes. Indeed she was. But she was also a being in way over her head. She was also a fighter, she had become a fighter the moment she'd touched that Bearded Iris. No matter how much Elrond, Glorfindel, or even her parents tried to keep her from the harsher realities of their situation... She was no longer in a position to be protected and kept upon her figurative pedestal.

Loteriel refused to be protected and kept upon her figurative pedestal.

Once that had been very clearly and firmly established, no more time had been wasted.

"Troubling news has reached me from our kindred beyond the Baranduin." Elrond said, his expression darkened with the knowledge of this news as he paced from the bed to the terrace. The day was so beautiful and clear, it was a deceiving sight. With such pure beauty surrounding them, one could have easily believed that all was fine and well. But that was not the case.

"Frodo Baggins carries a great burden here to Imladris." Frodo Baggins? Confused, Loteriel looked to Glorfindel for clarification, but found the golden warrior wearing a grave and very concerned expression. She dared not sway his intent gaze from the elf lord.

"But Gandalf has not yet returned. Who is guiding Frodo here?" Glorfindel asked, his entire body coiling for action. Though his mind was very much present and still as he listened to this troubling news, his body was already prepared for the ride, eager to be moving.

"No one." Elrond said, his tone low and somber as he lifted his dark gaze to Glorfindel. "He has gone astray and we've not an inkling of where he could be."

Though Loteriel was unaware of what or who it was that they spoke of, she did not doubt for a moment that what and who they spoke of was a very serious matter. Mithrandir's involvement only helped to make her understand just how serious this all was, not to mention the dark look in Glorfindel's gaze… She'd not seen such a dark expression on his face in the entire time she'd known him.

"He's lost?" Glorfindel whispered to himself, his mind going to the many dark possibilities there were. Frodo Baggins indeed carried a heavy burden: he carried the fate of Middle Earth in his hands… He carried the fate of the Ainu whom his heart belonged to in his hands…

"That is not all." The elf lord approached Glorfindel and Loteriel, his eyes firmly on Glorfindel's as he stopped to stand right in front of the golden warrior. "The Nine are abroad."

The Nine?

Loteriel wished she could ask them to explain what they spoke of, but she dared not. Despite her lack of knowledge, she knew that what they spoke of was something far too important to be interrupted. So, instead, she tried her absolute hardest to resist her urge to ask questions and waited, listening to them speak and watching their reactions

"There are few, even here, who can ride openly against the Nine, but Frodo Baggins must be found. I am sending out north, west, and south. You must ride out immediately, Glorfindel." Loteriel looked to the golden warrior, he was already ready to move. All he had been waiting for was Lord Elrond's word.

Turning to her, the elf lord began to speak once again, but she spoke up before he could do so.

"I am going with him." She said immediately, her tone firm, her chin raised ever so slightly. A bravado in her amber gaze.

Instantly, two pairs of eyes turned to her, ready to dissuade, but she was prepared to stand her ground. If there was one thing Loteriel knew how to do, it was to get what she wanted. She was tenacious, clever, and hearty.

Stepping up from beside Glorfindel, Loteriel faced the elf lord with a determined gaze. "You know what lurks within me, what dark venom courses through my veins." She said, her gaze unyielding. "I will not sit meekly and wait for my fate to chosen for me. I know not of whom you speak, but I know of what is at stake. If I can help save Middle Earth, if I can help save myself and my kindred, I will."

Lord Elrond said nothing for a moment as he looked back into the fiery gaze of the Ainu before him, then he glanced to Glorfindel with a soft smile. "I see the boldness of which you spoke." Beside Loteriel, Glorfindel felt his lips widen into a proud smile.

Surprised, the golden Ainu turned to look at the golden warrior. He was smiling at her. A brightness in his blue eyes. It seemed he truly did know her character as well as he did his own. Turning back to the elf lord, she found him smiling softly as he stepped back and bowed gracefully, respectfully.

"I've no intention of attempting to dissuade you any longer, Lady Loteriel."

… Well, that did not go as expected. It wasn't often that Loteriel was given her was so easily, she often times had to fight her way… Just how much had Glorfindel told the elf lord? Alas, Loteriel had no the opportunity to ask her golden warrior the question for time was of the essence. They had to prepare to leave. Immediately.

And so they did. Lord Elrond had quickly called for his daughter, Arwen, and together she and Loteriel had gotten her ready for the ride. She'd nearly protested when the beautiful elleth had brought her an emerald colored riding gown of sorts, but had quickly realized that the pretty elleth was no stranger to the necessities of long journeys and possible battles herself. The sturdy, green riding gown skirt was parted high up the center for the purpose of freeing her limbs as she needed. Beneath, she was able to wear breeches and boots. About her waist, she wore armor of simple brown leather, as well as around her forearms in the form of gauntlets beneath the wings of her sleeves.

Finally, there was but one thing left to do. Her golden hair was well beneath her hips in length, much too long to be left free. It could easily be used against her in a fight… she knew that now from experience. The Orcs had taken pleasure in grabbing her by her hair and pulling on it harshly so that her head would collide painfully with her iron prison.

Turning to Arwen, a look of resolve in her amber gaze, Loteriel asked her for something that deeply surprised the elleth as well as herself. Nodding, the dark haired elf maiden stepped out for a brief moment, then returned with a small blade in her hands. She approached the golden Ainu hesitantly and raised her gaze to meet Loteriel's.

"You are sure of this, Lady Loteriel?" She asked, her tone unsure. Loteriel smiled softly. No, she was not sure at all. She loved her hair. She once had longed to grow her golden hair as long as that of her mother's. She still longed to grow her hair as long as her mother's. But that longing had been temporarily replaced by her desire to never have her hair used against her by her enemies again.

"I am." Loteriel lied as she turned around to allow Arwen access to her hair. "Please, Arwen. Do it quickly." The golden Ainu felt the elleth grasp her hair gently. Closing her eyes, she held her breath and braced herself for what she knew was coming… She felt it. Instantly. It was as if a weight had been lifted from her. It was odd. Loteriel had expected for it to hurt for some irrational reason.

Breathing out slowly, the golden Ainu walked to the silver looking glass and hesitated for a moment, before turning around abruptly…

"I feel… lighter." She whispered aloud. Her hair no longer cascaded freely far below her hips in a waterfall of gold, but swung prettily about the center of her back.

When Arwen said nothing, Loteriel looked to the elf maiden and laughed mirthfully when she found her still holding her golden hair tightly in her hands. She looked positively stunned. Feeling a little less as if she'd done something unforgivable, Loteriel approached the elleth and placed her hand over the hand that still held her hair.

"Do not worry, Arwen. Hair grows." She said to the dark haired elleth. Arwen looked to the Ainu with wide eyes and nodded, uttering a breathy laugh as Loteriel took the long mane of golden hair and disposed of it quickly before she could become nostalgic or contrite. Her father was likely not to be happy with her when he saw her again, her rather liked her long hair.

Lifting her hands, Loteriel made quick work of her newly shortened golden hair, plaiting it before Glorfindel could return for her. He would be likely to ask question, and… she wasn't ready to speak of what she had endured in her days with her tormentors.

She had just finished disguising her hair in the form of a plait when the was a strong knock at the entrance of her chambers. Loteriel called out her approval for entrance and smiled when Glorfindel stepped into the archway. She then nearly laughed aloud once again when she realized that she now had the same length in hair as he.

"Loteriel, you must see this. Come." Confused, Loteriel reached out to take the hand Glorfindel had offered to her.

"What is it?" She asked as she was guided through the beauty of Rivendell, she could hear Arwen following close behind them, but was much to curious of Glorfindel's actions to turn to the elf maiden at the moment. So instead she followed Glorfindel to the stables where she could see Lord Elrond standing beside-

"Roccotari!" Overjoyed, Loteriel released Glorfindel's hand threw decorum to the wind as she ran to her beloved stallion. The beautiful mare turned, as if she recognized her mistress' voice, and galloped forward to meet her half way.

 _Safe. Loteriel is safe!_

Loteriel hugged the strong mare and nodded against her neck, feeling her chin press against her shoulder blade. "I'm safe." She whispered, happy to hear a familiar, friendly animal voice in her mind. "I'm safe. And you're safe!" Stepping back, Loteriel kept a hand on her horses neck as she turned to look at Glorfindel, Elrond, and Arwen.

"How is she here?" She asked them, but it was the mare who answered that question.

 _Lord Orome._

Stunned, Loteriel turned to her mare. "What?" She breathed, only half aware of the interested eyes watching her. The power of the Valar was widely known, but that did not mean that it wasn't, at times, surprising to discover the specific powers they held.

 _Lord Orome sent Roccotari back to Loteriel. To help. And to give._

"Give what?" Loteriel asked, confused. She stepped back when her beautiful mare began to move, turning around until Loteriel could see of what she spoke.

 _This_.

Strapped to Roccotari's side was not only her horn, but her bow and quiver! Her bow had been created and given to her by her father himself, he'd carved her bow with strong wood and golden inlays. He'd never wanted her to wield weapon, but had made sure to give her a sturdy bow nonetheless when he'd finally let her have her way.

Loteriel could have cried. Her eyes had filled with tears, but were yet to fall as she stepped forward to grip her bow and quiver with a smile brightening her expression. The moment her fingers touched her bow, Loteriel did not hesitate to take both it and her quiver, as well as her horn, and strap them on securely.

Finally, she was ready.

* * *

For nine days, Glorfindel and Loteriel rode hard. Searching day and night for Frodo Baggins and the burden her carried.

The first day had been the hardest for Loteriel. Not because she could not endure the heavy journey, but because she was perilously trying to learn. To understand. To know. She'd had a time trying to convince Glorfindel that she needed to know everything, absolutely everything. As always, he tried to keep from danger, in this case the danger that came from awareness. He did not wish to frighten her. Which had then convinced her, for a couple of hours, that he did not know her as well as he said he did.

All of her life, Loteriel had been sheltered from the darker histories of Arda. By her parents, by her kindred, by Glorfindel, and now even by the elven lords of Middle Earth. She was rather tired of always being belittled. Though they likely didn't see their attempts at protecting as belittling, Loteriel certainly did. And she was having none of it. She hadn't liked it at home, and she certainly didn't like it now.

She'd been far from meek in her... _passionate_ assertion to Glorfindel.

"Had you forgotten how stubborn I can be?" She had asked him with a small smile when he'd finally admitted that she indeed needed to know _everything_. Glorfindel looked to her and chuckled, shaking his head softly.

"Not at all. I suppose I believed you'd grown to be a little more... reasonable. It has been some time." Loteriel laughed brightly, unaware that her laughter alone caused the blooms at their mount's hooves to grow a little fuller, a little taller. She shook her head, casting joyful eyes on her golden haired warrior.

"I'm no more reasonable than I was then." And for some reason, Glorfindel was very glad of that.

And so, her learning began.

She was in awe! There was so much to know, so much to learn of Middle Earth! Of her home away from home! Of wars, and reigns, and warriors, and victories. Of hobbits and dwarves. Of the strong, the weak, and everything in between. Of little heroes and courageous bands. Kings and Queens and magnificent kingdoms. Pain and sorrow. Of dark villains who wished to imprison the beautiful land and free peoples of Middle Earth. Of the weakness of the Nine Kings. Of the heart of hobbits. Of the harmony of elves. Of the strength of men... Of the stubbornness of dwarves!

There was so much that she had not learned of Middle Earth, it almost made her sad. She wished she'd know everything before. She wished her mother and father hadn't tried so hard to shelter her from the slightest of darkness. Even her kindred had attempted to keep her safely away from the truths. At times, she had been able to convince them to tell her of story or two. Of the enemy they had once imprisoned. Of some of the realities of Middle Earth. It was now very clear to her that there was so much more than they had allowed her to know.

She had to admit something though... Now that she knew as much as he, she understood why he had tried to keep a little of the truth from her. There was much to despair about. The free peoples of Middle Earth had indeed suffered a lot and suffered still. And the One Ring. The One Ring was the source of much pain. It was the burden that Frodo Baggins carried... And the burden that held her fate, held her life. She understood now. With an endless army of Orc and darkness and evil against them, there was a lot to be concerned about. They would try to take the Ring from Frodo, they would try to strengthen their dark masters. They would try to over run Middle Earth and Valinor would surely be next. If Sauron prevailed... Morgoth would have an opportunity to escape. And the Dark Lord would merciless in his reign, in his destruction of all that was good. In the slaughter of the Ainur, of her family.

Yes, she understood now why they all had tried to shield her from the truths and histories and possibilities. But they could no longer hide her away, and she could no longer allow herself to hide away. If there was one thing she had learned from the tales that Glorfindel had told her, it was that everyone, from the smallest hobbit to the tallest man, could find courage and bravery and become a warrior for themselves and all who they held dear.

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 **It's been pretty hard to focus on what I would like to do with this story, and writer's block has not been helping any. Loteriel is slowly becoming a beloved character. I see her so much as the youngest child in a family, the one that struggles to find her independence and is overly protected and is often times a tad spoiled and rebellious.**

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 **Thank you all so much for the lovely comments. A special thanks to the guest who pointed out the flaws in Elrond's reaction to Loteriel. I'd been unsure of how to write that little bit and had opted to be a bit casual, for reasons that have been explained a little in this chapter, but I also agreed that maybe his reaction should have been a little more... honored? So I tried my best to fix that little bit. Hope it makes a tad more sense. Thanks again to all of you.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Glorfindel is tricky to write for...**

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On that night, the ninth night, as they sped through the forests, Loteriel became suddenly very aware that they were getting closer to finding Frodo Baggins. She could feel them coming closer… The Nazgul. The dreaded ring-servants of the Dark Lord Sauron. Of The Dark Lord Morgoth. She could feel their darkness in the air, lapping at her skin like a cold, disgusting tongue. It was so similar to _his_ , and yet not similar at all. The shadows in this air felt cold, she could feel herself involuntarily shivering, feel that weird sensation of cold prickling across her skin. She could feel herself slowly weakening with each unintentional shiver.

Then she heard the high pitched screech in the distance, and she knew they were very close to Frodo Baggins. They both knew. Turning to Glorfindel, Loteriel met his solemn gaze. They didn't even need to speak to understand what they needed to do: They needed to hurry.

Asfaloth and Roccotari shot forth, their master and mistress whispering words of urgency and encouragement to them quietly as they looked into the night, their keen gaze intent, their trained ears sharp. The Nazgul were close, and that meant that Frodo Baggins had to be even closer. They needed to find him before they did.

"Stop." Glorfindel's order put a halt to both of their mounts, and put the golden Ainur on her guard. Wary and on edge, she reached for her bow instinctively, her eyes searching the dark forest around her for a sign of trouble. She did not find that trouble, but she heard the steady breathing of someone hiding nearby. She lifted her other hand toward the arrows on her back, but a light touch from Glorfindel stopped her. Turning to him, she realized in an instant that they had not found trouble at all. By the look of joy in his bright blue gaze, Loteriel knew that they had found something- or rather, someone very good.

After making sure that Loteriel would not be using her weapon against their friends, Glorfindel quickly dismounted and made toward where he knew his friend was hiding. Sure enough, a dark haired man emerged from the shadows of greenery, a similar look of joy rising onto his expression.

 _"Ai na vedui, Dúnadan! Mae govannen!"_ **|[** Oh at last, Westman! Thou art well met! **]|** Glorfindel exclaimed, relieved to see that Frodo had indeed not been alone on his journey… but concerned by the notes of haste and fear in his friend's eyes. Something was wrong.

"We've been searching for you for nine days." Glorfindel said urgently, his expression sombering to reflect the gravity in Aragorn's eyes. "You are being followed." As if on cue, a distant screech pierced the air and the brief silence that followed became heavily ominous. More so than it had already been.

"What's happened?" Glorfindel asked, his voice clear and strong, while inside he felt himself tensing for what more trouble could come their way. He knew well that Loteriel would have been unimpressed with the thoughts of concern for her that were consuming his heart and mind. Still, he pushed his senses past their boundaries in an attempt to remain very aware of whatever danger could come their way... _her_ way.

While the two men spoke urgently, rapidly, quietly to one another, Loteriel felt herself drawn to the shadows beyond the dark haired man who spoke to Glorfindel. There were more behind him. Not men, but also no wraiths… except for one. Darkness was quickly consuming one of them. She could feel the cold darkness in the air, it was… transforming. And there was something more in the shadows, something whispering, something much darker than wraiths, and definitely much more sinister.

A sudden vision of a dark, armoured silhouette illuminated by blazing flames pierced through Loteriel's sight. And she knew. She knew what lied in the forest behind the man, _who_ lied behind the man.

She needed to hurry.

"Speak later." Loteriel's voice suddenly cut through whatever Glorfindel was about to say. And her voice… Glorfindel knew her voice well, and he did not like the darkness he had suddenly traced in it. "Frodo needs us." And without waiting for them to speak, Loteriel shot past them and toward the panicked voices, racing hearts, and rushing feet.

She burst through the greenery and found what she had sensed. There were four of them. One lying on the ground, two standing at his side, and the third pacing. She could see the fear on their faces, but on none was it as strong and full as it was on the hobbit who writhed on the ground. Looking at him, Loteriel was reminded of recent past that she did not wish to recall, and she did not need to ask to know that the struggling halfling was Frodo Baggins. She could feel the darkness of the One Ring on his person, and she knew that that was the root of why the wraiths had struck him with their dark venom… He suffered. Just like she had suffered, and still suffered.

The hobbit looked to her from where he lied on the ground, his wide, fearful eyes on her as she approached him, his breathing ragged and raspy. "Frodo," kneeling beside the little Hobbit, Loteriel smiled a kind yet haunted smile. _"Im Loteriel. Telin le thaed. Lasto beth nîn, tolo dan nan galad."_ **|[** I'm Loteriel. Ive come to help you. Hear my voice. Come back to the light. **]|** Reaching out, Loteriel gripped his cold, little hands, and flinched visibly when she felt the darkness from within her lash and burn. She refused to pull away from him however. She refused to let Frodo suffer in the darkness and pain alone. She refused to let him feel alone and afraid, as she had not too long ago.

Leaning down closer to the gasping hobbit, she whispered to him and only him. _"Daro a maetho, mellon nin."_ **|[** Stay and fight, my friend. **]|** She looked up as Glorfindel and the man rushed to Frodo, the dark haired of the two hastening to kneel beside her with a bundle of Athelas in his hands.

"Athelas." She gasped, hope coloring her tone as she quickly moved aside to let the man help Frodo. She did not release the hobbits hand however. That she still refused to do.

Aragorn pulled aside the cloth over Frodo's wound, and winced ever so slightly at the quiet gasps that came from the two newcomers at his sides. He knew how grave the wound was, and now so did they.

"The wounds of this weapon are beyond my skill to heal." Glorfindel whispered, his tone grave with anxiety as he shook his head slowly. Lifting his gaze, he looked to Loteriel and noticed again how intent her gaze was on the hobbit, as well as how tightly she held his small hand.

"He's fading." Loteriel whispered fearfully when Frodo's eyes closed suddenly, his breathing worsening by the second. She could feel the darkness growing stronger within him, she could feel it trying to lash out at her. She could feel the burning poison from within her growing stronger. If she didn't get away from Frodo the venom was going to begin to show on her skin, as it always did when it was becoming much to powerful and painful for her to bear. But she wasn't going to leave him. She would suffer along with him for as long as necessary. She had been alone in her own when she'd been held in her cage, but Frodo did not need to share that same frightening solitude.

"We must get him to Rivendell. To Lord Elrond." Glorfindel said, and quickly the three hastened to do exactly that, each fully aware that only the elf lord could save Frodo from this darkness.

Aragorn lifted Frodo into his arms as Loteriel called for Roccotari and helped him secure Frodo onto her back. Then both Aragorn and Glorfindel turned to face her solemnly. Only... there was a hint of something darkly pensive in Glorfindel's eyes. Something was troubling him. But Frodo did not have time for Loteriel to try and figure out what that was. She did know one thing though: They were both going to try and tell her to stay behind while one of them took Frodo to Rivendell. It was inevitable. All her life people had tried to keep her away from any sort of danger, almost to the point of insult. She could see, from the look in their eyes, that they were going to be no different. She could understand the man doing so, but she truly wished Glorfindel would stop trying to stop her all the time.

She wouldn't allow either of them to stop her. If nothing else, Loteriel was tenacious, and she was even more so now. She was utterly determined to help Frodo Baggins, she had formed a connection to the young hobbit the very moment she'd sensed his suffering from beyond the shadowed greenery. Then, when she had laid eyes on the pain and fear in his wide eyes... Loteriel had sworn herself to his cause. To their cause. To stop the darkness that tormented them both from within. To destroy the darkness that haunted and threatened him, her, and all of Middle Earth.

 _"Hon mabathon."_ **|[** I'm the faster rider. **]|** Loteriel said before either elf or man could speak, her voice firm and confident. _"Rochon ellint im."_ **|[** I'll take him. **]|**

She could tell that she had taken the man by surprise, but still he looked to her gravely, concern deep in his eyes. She chose not to look at Glorfindel, she knew what she would see in his.

 _"Andelu I ven, hiril vell."_ **|[** The Road is too dangerous, beloved lady. **]|** The dark haired, blue eyed man whispered, and Loteriel felt her chin rise. She lifted a hand to Roccotari's neck as she looked directly into the eyes of the mortal before her.

"There is not a horse on Middle Earth faster than Roccotari, and there is not a faster rider on Middle Earth than the daughter of The Great Rider." There was great pride in those words, a great pride and power that The Great Rider would have been quite proud to hear from his dear daughter.

With that, whatever arguments Aragorn might have had were silenced briefly. He had known from the moment he'd seen the subtle ethereal glow in the woman's skin that she was not an elf maiden, but something much more.

It was then that a screech of a Ringwraith pierced the air, and Aragorn, still somewhat hesitant to allow the Ainur before him to ride into danger, looked to Glorfindel. His friend was looking at the golden woman closely, though she was not looking at him. Sensing Aragorn's gaze, no doubt, Glorfindel turned to him, and Aragorn understood quite suddenly why his friend looked quite so solemn. For one more second, Aragorn hesitated, but another screech in the near by distance made his heart race for Frodo, and he turned to nod to the golden Ainur.

Loteriel swung onto Roccotari swiftly and braced Frodo in front of her firmly, trying- and failing- to keep herself from flinching when his body touched her. The stronger his darkness grew, the stronger hers would as well. She knew this. And as did Glorfindel.

Reaching out, Glorfindel gripped Loteriel's hand tight. So tight, that the Ainur quickly looked down and met his gaze with slight alarm. His normally serene face was oddly dark, he did not look very pleased with what was happening, but he said nothing to her as he looked into her eyes. Truly? He did not need to speak. Loteriel knew very well why he was on edge, it was because she was putting herself into a precarious situation. One that he could not talk her out of. He'd always done that with her... He, more than many, knew her enough to know- and at times understand- that she would not allow herself to be limited by any, even him. He knew that, she had made it quite clear, and so he never said anything when she impetuously got herself into situations that she would passionately commit to. Instead, he'd always become very serious and very silent. Enough so to leave no doubt as to what was in his mind and heart.

It took quite a bit of Loteriel's self control to keep from feeling irked. Though he likely did not mean to, she still felt as if she was being doubted, as if he did not have faith in her. She needed to remind herself that Glorfindel was not trying to hold her back because he did not believe in her, but because he loved her. He loved her and he did not want to see her in danger or pain.

"If I'm right," Loteriel suddenly said, drawing Glorfindel's attention to what she was saying. "I cannot risk being met by the Nazgul on my road to Rivendell, Glorfindel." She said, her gaze unwavering and her tone solemn. What she said next was rich with a meaning that only they understood. "You must keep them away from me."

The somberness in Glorfindel's eyes faded slowly as he quickly realized what she was telling him. Squeezing her hand tightly for another brief moment, Glorfindel nodded once then stepped back.

"Loteriel." Pausing one last time, Loteriel looked to her warrior's solemn gaze. "Ride hard. Do not look back... Be safe." She nodded her understanding to him, before looking down to her mare.

 _"Noro lim, Roccotari, noro lim!"_ **|[** Run fast, Roccotari. Run fast! **]|** And off she sped into the darkness, leaving behind Glorfindel and the rest.

For a moment, Glorfindel looked after her as she faded into the trees and thought of what she had just told him. _You must keep them away from me._ Loteriel did not like it when others tried to protect her, she appreciated it- at times- but she was not fond of it. She vehemently fought against anyone who attempted to treat her as if she was a dainty maiden in need of protecting, and she even fought against those who wished to protect her because they loved her.

 _You must keep them away from me._

Most would not have taken those words to heart as Glorfindel was, but because he knew her well, Glorfindel could see the hidden meaning behind those words. What she had told him, in her own words, was that she needed him. She both needed and wanted him to protect her. To keep her safe from the Nazgul that would surely be after her, Frodo Baggins, and the small golden burden they both now carried atop Roccotari.

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 **Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Melda Aranel and, as always, I welcome honest feedback and constructive criticism.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Gotta love writer's block.**

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The pounding of Roccotari's hooves on the ground were not alone. They'd been followed, as Loteriel had expected. Her pulse raced along with her galloping mare, her arms tightening around Frodo's small frame as she looked ahead with wild, golden eyes.

"We're almost there, Frodo. Hold on." Loteriel whispered, recognizing the wood around them as the Trollshaws forest just outside Imladris. She'd journeyed through this very forest only eight days ago with Glorfindel.

Loteriel breathed unevenly, her eyes fixated on the road ahead of them while, behind them, the Wraiths were closing in on them. Their high pitched screeching making her skin crawl and the venom within her burn. With her holding Frodo so close, she'd definitely felt herself slowly weaken and the darkness within her fluctuate. But when the Nazgul had caught up to them, Loteriel's drain had ceased to fluctuate toward the fall, and the pain had steadily become harder and harder for her to endure.

Frodo was running out of time, and she was not faring any better.

"Hortho! Hortho, Roccotari!" **|[** Hurry! Hurry, Roccotari! **]|** Loteriel pleaded breathlessly.

They rode harder toward Rivendell, passing trees and leaping over obstacles with unimaginable speed. But despite their impressive velocity, the shrieking got closer and closer until there were right beside them. Not behind. Beside.

Stunned, Loteriel looked to her sides and found that they were surrounded by Wraiths. How could they be keeping up with Roccotari?! Loteriel hugged Frood closer and called out to her mare, urging her to ride faster, ride harder and, somehow, her sweet horse did exactly that. She surpassed the Ringwraiths quickly and hurried her mistress and their precious cargo away from danger.

Looking back over her shoulder, Loteriel flinched, the burning within her body fluctuating harshly as the four Nazgul following them were suddenly joined by their other five kin. Bursting through the trees from either side.

"Rhaich!" Loteriel gasped angrily. Moving abruptly, the golden Ainur held onto Frodo and Roccoatri's reins tightly with one hand and reached up and over her shoulder to where her quiver rested against her back. Grabbing an arrow, she gripped the fletching skillfully and launched the sharp point at the Wraith closest to her as if it was a dagger. The point struck into its neck, throwing it off balance and causing it to emit a terrible scream. Loteriel breathed out a satisfied gasp and lifted her hand toward her quiver again.

 _Hold on!_

Loteriel looked back to the road and realized why Roccotari had spoken so urgently. Grabbing onto Frodo with both hands, the golden Ainur braced them both as her mare leaped over a fallen tree.

"Thank you, Roccotari." Loteriel breathed gratefully, then focused on keeping Frodo safe and stable atop her mare as they rode hard and fast past the trees and rolling plains. Leaning heavily against her chest, Frodo's breathing was growing more ragged by the minute, and Loteriel could feel his diminishing heartbeat against her.

"No, no. Stay with me, Frodo. Please." Loteriel begged, reaching up with a hand to grip his shoulder. She realized then that her own body was continuing to mirror his darkness and pain. Her skin was beginning to darken with bruises, the venom in her blood was thickening, strengthening. Again.

Looking away from her painful marks, Loteriel gripped onto Frodo once again as they flew over another fallen tree and bounded into the gushing river. The river!

"Thank the Valar." Loteriel gasped. Her body had begun to tremble. The cold of the shadows in Frodo's body and the fire of the darkness in hers were waging an agonizing war within her body. She couldn't last much longer.

Water splashed everywhere as they raced through the river, the screeches of the Nazgul suddenly sounding much farther then they had been moments ago. They wouldn't dare cross the river, would they? Loteriel didn't try to stop to check, she urged Roccotari forward until they were safely on the other side of the crystal clear river. There, Loteriel risked turning to face the Nazgûl. They had stopped at the opposite edge, their dark horses rearing back and away from the river as if it were fire rather than water.

"Give up the Halfling, holy one!" They commanded, the voice raspy and yet also deep, they're leathery hands outstretched toward her. Loteriel squeezed Frodo closer to her and glared viciously at the dark creatures across the river.

"Never." Loteriel growled. "You will not have him. _He_ will not have him." Enraged shrieks pierced the air and Loteriel's eyes widened when the dark horses stepped into the crystal clear water, metal shearing against metal as the dark riders raised their blades in unison and urged they're mounts toward Frodo and Loteriel.

Roccotari reared away, ready to flee with her precious cargo, when the sound of rushing water reached her and Loteriel's ears. The water began to rise startlingly fast while the current of the river hastened and strengthened, waves lapping at the dark horses. Suddenly, the source of the sound of rushing water presented itself, speeding toward them in the form of a towering herd of majestic horses galloping toward the Wraiths, neighing powerfully. The dark riders screeched as they tried to flee, the horses wading through the rising river frantically, but the towering wall of water crashed over them and captured them beneath its strong waves, forcing them away with ease down the river, and far away from the Ring.

Loteriel was both stunned and incredibly overjoyed, she'd recognized the power behind the water. Her elation did not last however, for Frodo had reached the end of his strength, and the darkness had taken over his little body. He gasped weakly as his body crumpled in Loteriel's arms.

"No!" Loteriel gasped, her eyes wide with horror as she rushed to pull him Roccotari. "Frodo, no! Frodo don't give in!" The golden Ainur ordered fearfully as she set him down delicately on the rocky ground, a stinging sensation burning in her eyes and throat. Frodo's little face turned slowly, his wide eyes on hers as his breathing slowly faded.

"Frodo please!" Loteriel cried out, tears falling from her eyes as she gripped onto the hobbit's cloak. He couldn't die! He couldn't give up! She couldn't let him leave. She couldn't let Morgth take him from her. She _wouldn't_ let him take Frodo from her!

"Mother, Father." Loteriel whispered to herself as she took hold of the only idea that rose in her mind. "Forgive me." She wasn't sure if it would work, but if it did… Frodo would have a chance. And that was all that mattered to Loteriel.

Taking Frodo's cold hands in hers, she squeezed them tight and bowed her head over their joined hands as she tried hard to pull out the darkness in Frodo. And take into her. Their darkness had always been connected, Loteriel had felt it from the moment she'd touched the young hobbit. If she could just pull some of the darkness eating away at Frodo, maybe she could give him enough time to make it Elrond.

 _Loteriel?_

The Ainur ignored her mare's concern and concentrated, praying that her idea would work… Then feeling both relief and dread when she burning within her began to pulsate painfully. For as long as she lived, she would never be able to put into words the feeling of agony that consumed her when the dark venom began to win the war within her. She tried desperately tried to remain in control of her own thoughts though, tried her mightiest to remain above the fire just long enough to save Frodo.

She would have collapsed, if she hadn't already been on the ground, when she heard Frodo's sudden indrawn breath. Felt the slightest bit of warmth in his fingertips.

"Frodo." Loteriel grunted, her eyes squeezed tight as she tried with all her strength to think through the pain and remember what she was supposed to do. Opening her eyes, she found Roccotari pacing back and forth in a panic. That's it.

"Rocco...tari." Loteriel bit back her screams, her teeth digging into her lower lip. "Down." The taste of her own blood filled her mouth as she reached for Roccotari, gesturing for her to lower herself closer to the ground. Understanding quickly, the mare did as she was asked and tucked her strong legs beneath her as she lowered herself to the rocks beside her mistress and the hobbit.

"Good." Loteriel gasped as she dragged her trembling body to Frodo and pulled him, as gently as she could manage with her own convulsing body, onto Roccotari with more than a bit of trouble. Every single movement hurt, even intake of breath burned. She wanted so badly to scream out the agony, but forced herself silent as she managed- after plenty of struggle- to get Frodo onto Roccotari.

"Good." Loteriel said again tightly, then collapse fully against the jagged ground, her cheek resting against the rocks heavily. "Go." The golden Ainur gasped. The mare immediately protested, her large head shaking violently as she screamed her refusal. Loteriel flinched, her fists closing around handfuls of rocks and squeezing.

 _"GO!"_ Loteriel screamed out her order, startling Roccotari to her feet. The loyal mare did not wish to leave her mistress, but she could not disobey either. So with another moment of pained hesitation, the lovely mare took off in a gentle gallop, careful to protect the hobbit atop her that Loteriel had just sacrificed for to save.

* * *

Loteriel recognized this sensation immediately. Lorien had taught her to recognize the feel of a dream, and she she did recognize the feel of it. However, she did not recognize the feel of this particular dream, not at all. There was no sensation of peace and lightness like that of the dreams of the Lord of Dreams. Here there was only darkness and loneliness.

Opening her eyes, the golden Ainur found herself in a large circle of death and darkness. It was horrible. There was such beauty and life at her sides, a wonderful evergreen meadow all around her. Flowers in white and yellow and blue. But beneath her… Loteriel sat in a large circle of black grass and wilting flowers. She could still hear them in her mind, she could hear then slowly dying.

"No, no, no." Loteriel whispered through tears, her hands reaching out to try and bring back life to the pretty petals.

"You can't save them, Loteriel." Cold shivers ran through the golden Ainur's body as she lifted her eyes to the dark figure standing before her. He was beautiful. It was wrong, so very wrong that someone so dark and evil could be so beautiful. He wore silky robes the colors of onyx and steel, long, sleek dark hair framed flawless features… Seeing him like this reminded Loteriel of something she often forgot: Moroth was her King's brother. He was Manwe's brother. And they couldn't have been any more different. Not night and day like Manwe and Varda, no. They were good and evil.

"You can't save anyone." Loteriel's rage rose, she was grateful to feel it blaze within her.

"I saved Frodo." She retorted, smiling when a glint of something dangerous flashed in Morgoth's black eyes.

"You did not save him, beloved princess." Loteriel grimaced subtly, but refused to look away from the Dark Lord's dark eyes. "You simply postponed the inevitable. The halfling will die, the One Ring will be retrieved, and I will return to Arda once again." He smiled, a beautifully twisted smile that made Loteriel want to step further away. Pride prevented her from doing so however, while anger prompted her to speak.

"Frodo will not die. He will destroy the Ring and you will fail, Morgoth." The golden Ainur growled, surging to her feet in a none too graceful movement. Shaky, but on her feet, Loteriel glared at the evil being in front of her her and lifted her chin defiantly.

"Such audacity." The Dark Lord commented with a small, merciless smile. "No doubt a front." He said casually, brushing away at her words as if they were simply and pesky fly, as he slowly stepped toward her. Loteriel stayed utterly still, refusing to allow her instinct to run to overcome her, even when she saw him lift a hand to her cheek. A single smooth, cold finger stroked her cheek, causing a faint fire to burn within her at the mere touch.

"You know nothing of true battle, little one. When the time comes, your bravery will fade and you will run. You will leave the halfling to his fate, and you will meet yours. You are nothing but a means to and end after all."

Hurt and anger warred within Loteriel. He was right about one thing: she knew nothing of true battle. She had been trained- sort of- but she had never experienced the brutality of a real war. However, he was wrong about everything else. Loteriel might never have been a true warrior, but her bravery was very real, and she would never disgrace herself- or her kin- by running away. She was far too prideful and stubborn for such a cowardly action. And Frodo?

"Frodo will not die. I will not run. You will not win." Loteriel slapped the Dark Lord's hand away from her cheek and lifted her chin higher, her golden eyes ablaze. "I will help Frodo destroy the one thing you have that could possibly give you enough power to free you. Then, it won't matter whether or not I die and weaken my kin, because you will no longer have the power to even see beyond the Void. You will return to being a simple prisoner, too weak to ever by any sort of threat to Arda again."

Bold words. Very bold words. But Loteriel vowed to do everything and anything in her power to accomplish every single last one of them.

* * *

 **Pretty tough chapter. Next one is probably going to be even tougher. Honest feedback and constructive criticism is always appreciated and I hope you all liked the chapter**.


	8. Chapter 8

I blame writer's block.

* * *

Loteriel wasn't sure where she had expected to be when she awoke again. However, it definitely did not come as a surprise to her when she opened her eyes and found herself back in her bed in Rivendell.

For a moment, everything was quiet and serene, but then Loteriel sat up sharply and cursed herself, cursed her own weakness. Once again she had been saved by Glorfindel. She could smell him on her clothes. He'd no doubt carried her here after he had found her unconscious by the water. Unconscious!

Rising from her bed, Loteriel quickly stripped herself of her riding gown and leather armor, leaving herself only in her breeches and tunic. Pushing her sleeves up to her elbows, Loteriel looked down... and felt her knees wobble beneath her. A strangled sound stuck in the back of her throat as fear and anger waved through her in pangs… her hands were entirely covered in the bruise like splotches. The veins within her flesh were now visible in deep tones of red and purple and blue. They were strongest at her palms, right where she'd held Frodo when she'd taken away a tiny bit of his darkness…

Would they stay like this? Marked by the darkness within her? Marked by her own weakness.

Her breath ragged and throat burning with angry tears, Loteriel pushed her sleeves back down harshly and turned to the silver panel, rushing to it to looked at herself in the silver mirror ...She was unmarked. Swallowing down the lump in her throat, Loteriel turned her back on her reflection abruptly and undid her hair, freeing it about her shoulders. She did not wish to look at herself, at her hands, at her face. She'd promised her kin and herself that she would defeat this evil. How would she possibly do that if she spent her time in need of saving by Glorfindel!

"Loteriel." The Ainu tensed but turned slowly to look at the handsome warrior elf in the room. The warrior elf who would save her time and time again if he saw her in need… she could never blame him for saving her. He did so because he loved her. She could, however, blame herself for having needed it in the first place.

"Glorfindel." Loteriel breathed, resisting the urge to go to him. "How is Frodo?" She asked tightly. The elf raised a brow ever so slightly at her tone, but did not step closer to her.

"He's resting. He's safe. You saved him, Loteriel." The golden Ainu breathed out slowly, relieved that Frodo was safe. Just barely though. Shaking her head, Loteriel raised a hand to run it through her hair in frustration.

Unable to stay away when she looked so dejected, Glorfindel stepped toward her. "You are angry, why?" He asked quietly, his crystal blue gaze intent on her expressions. His eyes narrowed when Loteriel flailed her hands in frustration, her eyes ablaze with emotion. He saw tears there. She was trying very hard not to cry and shout, he could tell.

"I- It's-" Breathing out sharply, Loteriel attempted to turn and stalk away, but Glorfindel set his hands on her shoulders gently to keep her from leaving. She didn't feel restrained though, she felt comforted and she was immensely thankful that Glorfindel had the ability to comfort her so easily.

Feeling her insides settle, the Ainu took another deep breath before focusing her gaze on Glorfindel.

"I wasn't able to bring Frodo all the way to safety." She breathed, and though her voice was almost airy, her body was incredibly tensed. "I failed him. I failed myself. I- How can i possibly save my family if I can't even save myself? How can I possibly help Frodo if I can't-" By this point, Loteriel was very nearly shouting and was speaking quite quickly, her emotions clear in her tone.

"Loteriel." Glorfindel's strong voice stopped her tirade, the slight squeezing of her shoulders prompting her to lift her gaze back to him. She blinked. He was smiling at her, warmly, proudly, his blue eyes bright.

"Loteriel you've failed no one." He didn't allow her to look away. "Frodo is alive and well here in Rivendell because you were brave and courageous. Because you helped him here. You're being much too hard on yourself, Loteriel." She said nothing as she looked at the pride in his expression… maybe he was right.

Glorfindel's expression then changed, falling into one of distress as his hands slid down Loteriel's arm to take her hands in his and lift them up between them. He gazed at her bruised hands with solemn eyes, his brows furrowed. Loteriel said nothing as she looked at her hands as well, he'd not seen her like this before. Not this closely. She tried not to shift uncomfortably as the silence grew.

"I do not like having you in danger." He said quietly after a long moment of tense silence, Loteriel smiled and sighed.

"I know." She squeezed his hands. "If it were up to you and my father I'd be locked away safely in Valinor." She said, her tone teasing and her eyes bright with laughter. Glorfindel smiled and lowered her hands, releasing them.

"I've learned to know better than to hope for you to listen to reason." He said.

"Your reason, not mine."

"Ah yes, reasonable to you is to charge into a battle you know little about."

"And defeat evil and protect my family." The elf and Ainu laughed, eyes warm and smiles happy. It was as if they were back in Valinor, with no worries or fears, completely free to be with each other and not have a sword dangling above their heads. Just for a moment. Their chuckles slowly faded, and Glorfindel raised a hand once again, but this time he took her hair gently into his hand. Loteriel tensed.

"You cut it." He said, his blue eyes on her hair. When Loteriel did not speak, he looked at her and found that her green gaze had clouded over.

"Yes…" She said, her insides tensing. Loteriel had not wanted to speak of what she had experienced. Ever. But with those beautiful blue eyes looking into her with such concern and love, she couldn't deny him her dark memories. "The orcs enjoyed using it against me… I don't want to allow another to do that same." The bright blue eyes heo loved so dearly darkened in an instant, anger and despair clouding them. Loteriel swallowed the lump in her throat and looked away.

"I upset you." She whispered.

"No." Glorfindel said instantly, his hand moving to caress her cheek. "Not you." He breathed in deeply, then slowly breathed out.

Loteriel had realized long ago that Glorfindel held a fire within him, one that he expertly controlled, but could not rid himself of. The warrior elf was incredibly noble and proper. Nothing like her, and yet quite a lot like her.

Loteriel held a passion and zeal that counterbalanced Glorfindel's self restraint and propriety. Yes they seemed as different as fire and ice, but, truly, they were not. Both action oriented, both determined, both strong willed, both fair, and both honorable. So alike that they found it easy to align their purpose, found it easy to understand each other. In fact, it was Glorfindel's strong will that had captured Loteriel's interest when they had first met… He had seemed such a warrior, loyal and ready to take orders, and indeed he was. But he was not the kind of elf to blindly follow a cause, as she had once expected him to be. No. Glorfindel was incredibly strong willed, tenacious, and he was not easy to sway. Much like she was. He also had a strong sense of right and wrong, a sense for truth and justice. She had admired his conviction, and had found that she could easily trust in him, believe in him.

"May I ask you something?" Loteriel asked suddenly.

"Of course." What she asked next completely stunned Glorfindel, which was not an easy feat to accomplish.

"Why haven't you kissed me?" Wide blue eyes stared at the golden Ainu, who smiled triumphantly at her accomplishment. "It's been 1,000 years since I last say you." Glorfindel, finally waking from his stunned state, chuckled.

"As bold as ever." He said with a smile, eyes bright with amusement.

"It's my best quality." Loteriel said with a slight flutter of her eyelashes.

"I'm inclined to agree." Glorfindel said softly before he lowered his mouth to press a gentle kiss to Loteriel's forehead, then lower still to do the same to the tip of her nose, and, finally, he craned his neck low enough to press a sweet kiss to Loteriel's lips.

Meanwhile, Loteriel found herself wondering how she was still standing and not puddled on the ground. She'd missed this, she'd missed him.

* * *

With her hands rested on Glorfindel's arm, and his right hand settled above hers, the elf and the Ainu walked through the beauty and quiet of Rivendell. Neither aware that Loteriel's hands were no longer marked, but both very aware of the warmth that encircled them, the love that surrounded them. Both remembered quite clearly how they had often walked through Yavanna's woods or through Orome and Vana's gardens, sometimes hand in hand and other times just walking side by side. Sometimes they had lied on the beautiful blooms and looked to the stars above them together… Loteriel had often needed to drag him down to sit beside her on the grass and get him to relax his forever tense posture. It had not been easy, but she had been quite relentless.

They spoke of the time they had been apart, of what each had accomplished. Of how Loteriel had mastered her ability to speak to animals and had managed to convince her father to give her a weapon… It was when they begun to speak of this that the two came across the Shards of Narsil.

Loteriel had known little of Aragorn when she had first met him, but Glorfindel had told her of him in their walk… he was avoiding his lineage, almost running from it. He didn't think himself worthy, he doubted his ability to be a great King. Loteriel could understand that, and yet she also could not. It was her nature to fight to be the best she could possibly be, if she was told she could not be something she would do all she could to be even better than what was doubted of her.

"I know what you are thinking, and don't." Glorfindel suddenly spoke quietly, prompting Loteriel to turn to him with bewildered green eyes.

"Don't? Don't what?" She asked, genuinely confused.

"You've good intentions, but you can't…" Glorfindel searched for an appropriate term. "Fix, Aragorn. He must discover his worth for himself, he will believe none but himself." Loteriel stared up at Glorfidindel for a moment longer before looking away, a slight blush coloring her cheekbones. With that, Glorfindel knew that she had indeed been contemplating approaching Aragorn.

"I simply thought to push a little confidence into him." Loteriel muttered quietly, her blush darkening by the second. Glorfindel cleared his throat, semi-successfully smothering his chuckle. Loteriel's frown turned into a pout as she narrowed her gaze at the elf, she made for quite a sight, and Glorfindel's earlier chuckles returned.

The laughing warrior captured her shoulders with his hands before she could turn away from him, her blush consuming her cheeks. "I've lived with myself longer than you, and yet you knew this of me while I was entirely oblivious." She mumbled, the statement sounding more like a question when she spoke it. Glorfindel cleared his throat once again, his laughter fading as he took the Ainu's chin in his hand and lifted her gaze back to him.

"I expect rash boldness from you." He said with a bright eyes, but then the smile he wore warmed into something sweeter and his eyes softened. "However, I also expect incredible kindness." Loteriel's eyes widened slightly as she looked up at his loving smile, the heat in her cheeks slowly beginning to fade.

"What does that-"

"You want to help him. You want to help him believe in himself and make him see himself the same way that many others do. Make him see the great King within the brave Ranger. Not because you believe in him, though you certainly do, but because you want _him_ to believe in _himself_."

Loteriel was stunned. She was speechless. She could do little else but stare up at Glorfindel's gentle smile while her minds whirled with confused shock. It seemed like hours before Loteriel was finally able to blink and smile, then she surprised Glorfindel by suddenly rising up onto her toes to press a quick, warm kiss to his lips.

"What was-"

"Thank you." Loteriel said with her bright smile.

"For?" He asked.

"For reminding me that I can be something other than audacious."

* * *

"You know, there is something I never managed to accomplish in Valinor… Maybe you can help me accomplish it here?" After they had been reminded by an elleth that supper time was drawing near, Loteriel and Glorfindel had returned to her chambers together. Loteriel wanted to freshen up before she went to dine with all of her new friends.

"What is it?" Glorfindel asked, knowing better than to agree to helping her before knowing what that something was. Loteriel could hear the wariness in his voice, and wondered why everyone had that same tone when she asked them for a favor.

"How to wield a sword."

"No." Loteriel froze in place.

"Well… that was fast." The Ainu said, turning to look up at Glorfindel. She was surprised he'd said no so quickly, and more than a little disappointed if she was being honest.

"You've learned to wield a bow, Loteriel, and very well in fact." Glorfindel said calmly, his eyes darker than they had been not long ago. "Leave it at that." There was something final about the way he said those last words, a tone that suggested- no, declared that the conversation was over. That his decision had been made… it rustled Loteriel's feathers.

"May I ask why?" She asked regally, an edge to her tone. In that moment, she looked all a princess, her chin raised and eyes defiant and voice majestically polite. Too polite. She was moments away from a royal rage. Glorfindel knew the tone, the expression, the posture. There were many sides to Loteriel's anger, the explosive fury was the most common... but this quiet, regal rage was, in his opinion, the worst of them all. When she became this kind of angry, it was because she was angry of course, but also… because she was hurt.

Telling her that it was too dangerous would be a very, very bad idea. So, instead, Glorfindel found a more gentle way of saying it. "Because I'm selfish." That seemed to startle some of the rage away. "I selfishly want to keep you far away from the front lines of battle."

Loteriel wanted to sight heavily. His reasons were understandable. He didn't want her to get hurt. He wanted to protect her, which might have irked Loteriel if she didn't understand the feeling so fully. It was the same reason she wanted to learn to use a sword, to protect the ones she loved.

"Very well." Loteriel said with a small smile for Glorfindel, rising on her toes she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek before turning to enter her room. The elf warrior stood in the hall for a long moment, a feeling of unease filling him and weighing heavily in his gut. She had been smiling at him before she'd left, but Glorfindel had seen something in her eyes, just for a brief moment. Something that troubled him… Sadness.


	9. Chapter 9

**Had a bit of a tough time with this chapter.**

* * *

Loteriel watched quietly from the terrace above the courtyard as a man rode into Rivendell, his eyes blue and hair light. He was one of the few who would attend the Council of Elrond, the representative of Men, as it were. Resting her palms on the stone railing before her, the golden Ainu looked on as the man's gaze roamed about his surroundings; there was a subtle wonder in his eyes and a certain… unease. The fair haired elf that rode in not long after did not share his unease, in fact, he seemed quite excited. A smile curling his lips softly. His blue gaze explored Rivendell, and widened ever so slightly when they found her. Loteriel had no doubt that this elf knew what she was, but how? She was not entirely certain, considering she was not emitting that brilliant signature aura of an Ainur.

The golden Ainu did not look away as the elf continued to stare up at her, making it known that she was aware of his evaluation. It was not until the elf was spoken to by one of his companions that he looked away to nod in understanding, but then he turned to look back at her. Loteriel blinked in surprise when he suddenly leaned into a bow of respect before turning to follow his kin. It was not the first time that Loteriel had been greeted with such formality, but certainly the first time it had been done from such a distance.

Chuckling softly, Loteriel watched on as the dwarves walked into the courtyard not long after the elves… They looked less than pleased. Personally, Loteriel did not see the issue between the elves and dwarves as particularly reasonable but, admittedly, she knew little of what had caused the animosity between them in the first place.

"Loteriel." The Ainu breathed a deep sigh, suddenly realizing that she was nervous. Nervous of what the Council would determine. What if they believed the Ring to be useful? What if they wished to use it? What would that mean for her? For her kin?

Warmth spread through Loteriel as a gentle hand slid into hers, looking behind her she smiled up at Glorfindel.

"I'm a little uneasy." She admitted to him.

"Don't be." Glorfindel said simply, squeezing her hand before pulling her with him. "Come. The Council will be beginning shortly." Loteriel continued to breathe steadily as she let herself be guided by the elf warrior.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Elrond stood, head held high, as he spoke to the men, elves, and dwarves who sat around him. The Council had wasted no time in gathering to begin the discussion of what they would do to the One Ring. Loteriel, though still quite nervous, had wanted to shout at them all to destroy the blasted thing. If any believed it was wise to use it's power she promised no one that she would not strangle the poor soul in an instant.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old, you have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom."

Loteriel breathed in slowly, she seemed to be doing a lot of that today, her shoulders tense and spine as straight as a blade as she listened to the Lord of Rivendell's words. Elrond and Glorfindel knew, but the rest were yet to be aware of how true his words were. Each race was bound to this doom… even the Ainur. Looking at every face in the Council she prayed that they would understand the gravity of their situation. As much as she tried to deny it, Loteriel knew that her fate was in their hands. Their decisions would affect the entirety of Middle Earth and Aman.

Warmth touched Loteriel's shoulder, prompting her to look up and behind her where Glorfindel stood. They were seated at Lord Elrond's flanks, both to his right. The warrior had been intended to sit at the elf lord's left, but had opted to stand by the little Ainur instead. In truth, Glorfindel knew what was to come, and he wanted to be close to her… to stop her.

"Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." Loteriel's green gaze turned to the hobbit, a soft, encouraging smile lifting the corners of her lips. He was doing much better now, she could not feel the darkness in him as prominently as she had before. She was glad of that.

Frodo stood slowly and walked to the plinth in the center of the Council. Every eye was on him as he lifted his hand up to the stone surface and placed the golden band atop it. Not a sound was made, and yet it felt as if a sudden thump had resonated from the Ring. So strong was its power. Frodo's shoulders sagged with relief the moment the ring left his fingertips, as if a burden had been literally lifted from his shoulders and, in truth, it had.

He'd not even reached his seat yet when the murmurs began.

"So it's true." The man who Loteriel had seen arrive that morning spoke and rose slowly from his seat. Though he spoke to the Council, his eyes were not on them, and he began to near the plinth. The golden Ainur was unsettled by how intent his gaze was upon the Ring. She did not like the look in his eyes, she wasn't even sure what exactly it was she saw in them, but she was sure of one thing: it was not fear.

"In a dream, I saw the Eastern sky grow dark, but in the West a pale light lingered. A voice was crying, your doom is near at hand. Isildur's Bane is found." The man's mind had been captured, his voice mesmerized as he reached for the Ring, transfixed. "Isulder's Bane." He whispered, and Loteriel had had enough.

Elrond stood abruptly and called out Boromir's name sternly while Loteriel shouted out her objection and Gandalf began to speak a language the Ainu was not familiar with. However, it did not take long for her to realize it was a language of darkness, for the instant that the wizard began to speak it, everything grew dark. The sky above filled with black clouds, the trees began to scream as once green leaves withered and fell from branches, the ground beneath them began to tremble violently. Evil was there, and it was horrible.

 **"Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,**

 **ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul."**

A frightening feeling overcame the elves and Loteriel felt her insides burn. She could feel the evil of those words in the darkness that flowed and blazed within her. The Ainu sucked in a breath and dug her nails into the arms of her chair, fear and pain gripping at her heart as her vision darkened and the veins within her flesh blackened. Glorfindel moved in an instant, despite his own distress, hovering over the Ainu and lowering his body so that he could almost form a protective shield over her. When her skin begin to darken, he actually felt a fear worse than he'd felt before strike him through. He reached out touch her, almost afraid that she'd be taken from him then and there.

Both the Ainu and elf were grateful when Gandalf stopped speaking the language, but remained shaken by what had just happened. Everyone was clearly staggered by the darkness that had touched them all. Even if it was just for a mere moment.

"Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris!" Elrond reprimanded the wizard, a rough glare in his eyes. Loteriel herself couldn't help but glare, she was fond of the wizard but, by the Valar, she'd been scared out of her mind when she'd felt that darkness hover over them.

"I do not ask for pardon, Master Elrond, for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The Ring is altogether evil." Gandalf said roughly, his voice raspy, almost tired sounding, but he stood tall as he spoke.

He left no doubt as to his thoughts of the One Ring.

"It is a gift!" Loteriel felt her eyes narrow into a glare at the stubborn man's words. He rose again and spoke, almost imploringly. "A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe! Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him!" She was ready to throttle him.

Then, a surprising voice suddenly pierced the tension.

"You cannot wield it, none of us can." Aragorn's voice rang out clearly, the authority in his tone unmistakable. Loteriel smiled at the man. The only Man with any sense apparently. "The Ring answers to Sauron alone, it has no other master."

"And what would a Ranger know about this matter?" Boromir sneered, tossing a cold gaze toward Aragorn.

"He's no mere Ranger." Loteriel looked to the enraged elf, he stood tall, his fiery gaze on the man named Boromir. She remembered him well.

"He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." Aragorn, Loteriel noticed, looked quite uncomfortable as Boromir turned to look at him, the shock and disdain clear on his face. "And heir to the throne of Gondor." His voice rang with pride, but Boromir turned to fix the elf with harsh eyes.

 _"Havo dad, Legolas."_ Aragorn said softly, gesturing at him to sit. Legolas hesitated briefly before slowly sitting back down. Loteriel tried, unsuccessfully, not to frown.

"Gondor has no king." Boromir lifted his chin and spoke defiantly. "Gondor needs no king." He spat coldly. Loteriel wondered how the man could be so… dense.

"Aragorn is right, we cannot use it." Gandalf nodded solemnly.

"You only have one choice, the Ring must be destroyed." There was a moment of icy silence, then, the dwarf stood.

"Then what are we waiting for?" He asked gruffly, then proceeded to lift his axe high, bellowing as he brought it down to strike it upon the Ring. Loteriel flinched in pain as the axe exploded right before his eyes and threw him backward with an impossibly overwhelming force, the shards of his axe scattering everywhere. While the dwarf lay frozen in shock, the Ainu glared at the Ring with utter hatred. That tiny bit of gold was causing her so much agony, it was unbelievable!

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Glóin, by any craft that we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came." Elrond looked down at the dwarf as he brought himself back onto his feet, then he scanned the faces of those around him solemnly. "One of you must do this." The silence that followed was grave and tense, but shortly lived.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor. It's black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland. Riddled with fire and sh and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly." Boromir spoke desolately. Loteriel couldn't seem to stop herself from glaring at him, he was being terribly unhelpful.

Seeing the look in her green eyes, Glorfindel pressed a hand to Loteriel's shoulder and squeezed. She tossed him a quick glare, but he ignored it and withheld his smile.

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" An angry Legolas shot to his feet once again. "The Ring must be destroyed!" He was closely followed by Gimli, who immediately snarled at the elf.

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" Yet another rose to his feet. Boromir, and his very unhelpful comments, approached the two arguing figures.

"And if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?"

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf!" Gimli announced brusquely, stepping toward Legolas threateningly. "Never trust an elf!" He shouted at Legolas, which then prompted both elves and dwarves, and then men, to rise to their feet. Bellows filled the air, anger and insults bouncing from person to person as the tension grew ever higher. Soon, the wizard himself rose and joined the growing argument, walking stiffly to Boromir and shouting deeply.

"Do you not understand that while we bicker among ourselves, Sauron's power grows? None can escape it! You'll all be destroyed!"

Loteriel itched to do some shouting herself, wanting desperately to scream the ears off of each of them. She would have done so, had Glorfindel not been holding her shoulders down firmly. Oh he knew her well, alright. Beside them, Lord Elrond simply looked away from the noise, disappointment clear in his eyes.

"They're being idiots." Loteriel finally hissed to Glorfindel, unable to keep quiet any longer.

"Be patient." Glorfindel said simply, his voice suspiciously strained.

It was then that a small voice managed it's way over the roar of men, dwarf, and elf. It went unheard for a moment, but arguments quickly began to fade with every repetition that the brave, little hobbit shouted out.

"I will take it!" Loteriel's smile could have blinded them all.

"I will take the Ring to Mordor." His decision clear, Frodo faced every being in the Council. He did not look very confident, in fact, he looked a bit scared… but not a single person doubted his resolve. Though small, Frodo had just proven himself bigger than all of them.

"Though, I do not know the way." Loteriel's heart clenched with pride. She had not known Frodo long, but her connection to him had been instantly strengthened by the burden they both shared in their blood.

The silence was deafening, not a being in the Council could look away from the astonishing scene before them. This little hobbit, this little, brave hobbit was willing to face an evil that Middle Earth had feared for hundreds of years. No doubt quite a few of them were skeptical of this young hobbit's proclamation, but Frodo Baggins was far from alone.

Gandalf the Grey stepped forward, his eyes filled with a mess of concern and pride, and pressed a hand to the hobbit's shoulder. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins. For as long it is yours to bear." Yes, Frodo Baggins was far from alone.

Then, another rose to his feet. Aragorn, gleaming with an emotion Loteriel could not quite understand, looked to Frodo.

"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will." Promised the Ranger, he then went to kneel before Frodo and take his small hands in his. "You have my sword." The brilliant, knowing smile that Gandalf shared with Elrond did not go unseen by the Ainu or her elf warrior. In fact, they wore similar smiles themselves.

"And you have my bow." The fair haired elf declared, and went to stand at the side of the brave hobbit.

"And my axe." Gimli said as he strode forward to stand by the elf awkwardly. And it did not end there… however, the following volunteer sent a wave of unease through Loteriel. Boromir, clearly hesitant, stepped forward.

"You carry the fate of us all little one." The man said to Frodo. "If this is the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done."

Loteriel had been silent for all of this, but she knew what she needed to do. What she'd come to do. She had promised her kin she would help protect them from his evil, that she would help defeat this evil. With these brave warriors, both big and small, she would face the evil that had taken her from her family. The golden Ainu made to stand... but was stopped.

Strong hands held her shoulders steady and kept her from moving. Surprised, Loteriel looked to the warrior behind her, but he would not look at her in return. His gaze was intent on the happenings before them, and yet his hands did not falter in strength. When Loteriel attempted to move again, she felt his fingers tighten ever so slightly against her… He did not want her to move.

"Heh!" The sudden exclamation from the bushes nearby startled Loteriel. She turned in time to see Samwise dart under Aragorn's arm and stand by Frodo, crossing his arms in defiance and looking to everyone with determined eyes. "Mr. Frodo is not goin' anywhere without me." He said, and Lord Elrond felt himself chuckle lowly.

"No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not." The sheepish blond hobbit shifted nervously under Elrond's amused smile, but stood his ground nonetheless.

"Oi! We're coming too!" Lord Elrond's head snapped in the direction of the new voices and stared in disbelief as young Merry and Pippin rushed toward them.

"You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" Merry declared daringly as he and Pippin stood by their friend. Loyalty seemed an incredibly strong characteristic in the little hobbits, as was bravery.

"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission, quest... thing." Pippin puffed out his chest proudly, nodding confidently to himself.

"Well that rules you out, Pip." Merry muttered and Pippin nodded eagerly, before he realized what it was his friend was trying to say.

"Nine companions... So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring." Lord Elrond declared.

"Great! Where are we going?"


End file.
